Infosys owns a swanky campus in Hubballi in Karnataka. Known as the Infosys Hubballi development centre (DC), the campus has been politically contentious as well.
As per news reports, Infosys bought 43 acres of land from the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board at a deeply subsidized rate. The promise was to use the campus to recruit locals and provide them with livelihood opportunities. However, the promise was not kept. The failure of Infosys was debated even on the floor of the Karnataka Assembly. Both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP have been trying to force Infosys to make use of its campus in North Karnataka.
Finally, Infosys has floated a transfer policy. It has asked its employees working in other locations like Mysuru and Hyderabad to apply for a transfer to the Hubballi campus. The employees have been offered monetary incentives for those willing to shift to the campus, which can accommodate about 5,000 employees.
The move has been welcomed by the political class. "I applaud Infosys for offering incentives to employees transferring to its Hubballi campus. This move encourages local talent from the Kittur Karnataka region to explore opportunities closer to home, fostering community ties and local development. Infosys' commitment to state-of-the-art campuses and employing thousands of engineers globally exemplifies its leadership and positive impact on regional economies," opined MB Patil, Minister for Commerce & Industries, Infrastructure, Karnataka.
"I wholeheartedly appreciate Infosys for its incentives to employees transferring to its Hubballi campus. Earlier demands were made from public representatives of this place for increased activity at this center. Tier 2 cities will have a better exposure for further growth in terms of opportunities and growth for the talented youth," wrote Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
The active policy by Infosys to promote the IT sector in a Tier-2 city has become a hot topic in the IT sector.
