PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam apologises for comments on Karnataka Reservation Bill

Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of fintech firm PhonePe, offered an apology on Sunday following backlash over his comments on Karnataka's job reservation bill.

"I would first and foremost like to clarify that it was NEVER my intention to insult Karnataka and it’s people. If my comments hurt anyone’s sentiments in such a way, I am truly sorry and would like to offer you an unconditional apology. I have the highest regard for Kannada, and all other Indian languages. In fact, I truly believe that linguistic diversity and rich cultural heritage is a national asset that all Indians should be proud of; and all Indians should be respectful of and celebrate local and cultural norms," Nigam said in a statement.

He added that he wanted to help create lakhs of jobs for Bengaluru and Karnataka.

"I believe with more dialogue and discussion, we can find ways to create more sustainable employment avenues. Let’s all work together to do this meaningfully and while creating long-term impact," he said.

Further, his note read, "As a company, we are deeply grateful for the supportive business environment that Karnataka’s governments and its local Kannadiga populace have offered us. Without such an inclusive ecosystem and progressive policies, Bengaluru would not have become a global technology superpower.

As a company we also thrive on celebrating diversity, we have always tried hard to deliver fair, unbiased and meritocracy-based employment opportunities for all Indians - including to all local Kannadigas. We believe such an approach gives every Indian a good job a chance to shine, and ultimately helps create more societal and economic value for Bengaluru, Karnataka, and India."

The controversy erupted after Nigam criticised the bill on social media platform X. He said: “I am 46 years old. Never lived in a state for 15+ yrs. My father worked in the Indian Navy. Got posted all over the country. His kids don’t deserve jobs in Karnataka? I build companies. Have created 25000+ jobs across India! My kids don’t deserve jobs in their home city? Shame”.

His post unleashed massive trolling by social media users in Karnataka who lashed out at Nigam and called for a boycott of PhonePe.

Last week, the Karnataka government decided to hold back the Bill that would make it mandatory for all private establishments to hire local Kannadigas. In a post on the social media platform X, Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah said the Bill was still being drafted and deliberated on and the final decision will be taken after a comprehensive discussion in the next cabinet meeting.

The proposed Bill faced a strong backlash from various quarters, which warned this would result in companies shifting from Karnataka to other states.

Nasscom also highlighted that the technology sector contributes almost 25% of Karnataka’s GDP and the proposed Bill will reverse the progress.