Software firms in Bengaluru have asked the state government to relax the laws on working hours and allow flexi-timings for engineers, which would help them engage employees better and tackle competition for talent from Chennai and Hyderabad.


Under the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, engineers are not allowed to work beyond the stipulated nine hours. Software firms want Karnataka to replicate the policy adopted in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where they account work to a total of 48 hours a week than on a daily basis.


"We should have flexi hours. The government should leave it to the employers to determine the working hours. There is acute labour shortage in Bengaluru and we need to create more jobs. The way to do this is to create more jobs with flexible labour working condition," says TV Mohandas Pai, former Infosys director and chairman of Aarin Capital.


Bengaluru, India's technology hub, employs a million workers in the software and back office sector, contributing to a third of India's software exports. It also has emerged as a hub for start-ups, where engineers work on solving business problems locally as well as target overseas customers. As they work on deadlines, organisations say that the government should bring progressive laws to bring in flexi-timing.


Anita Babu & Ayan Pramanik/Business Standard