Overview

• Kaushik Mukherjee, a Bengaluru-based tech founder, announced his startup’s relocation to Pune within six months, citing concerns for non-Kannada-speaking staff in the current linguistic climate.
• A viral video of an SBI manager refusing to speak Kannada led to her transfer, drawing condemnation from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and reigniting calls for language sensitization in public-facing roles.
• Google engineer Arpit Bhayani claimed he was denied parking after speaking Hindi and proposed making English India’s mandatory language to avoid linguistic conflicts.
• Syed Aleem highlighted the lack of Kannada translations in vehicle loan documents, raising concerns about linguistic accessibility in banking for local Kannadigas.
• The state government continues to advocate for Kannada training and inclusivity, while businesses and residents grapple with the balance between regional identity and practicality in a cosmopolitan city.