A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur has sparked a debate over workplace hiring after announcing that his company would not hire male candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Karthik SG, founder of A1 Sports World, announced the decision in a post on X, saying it followed an incident involving a former employee. The announcement has since triggered a wider discussion about workplace safety, hiring practices and whether individual behaviour should influence recruitment decisions based on a candidate’s state of origin.
CEO Names Four States
In his post, Karthik said the company had decided not to hire male candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
He said the decision was taken after what he described as a lengthy internal discussion. The entrepreneur also mentioned that the company already had a female employee from Rajasthan who, according to him, supported the decision.
The announcement quickly attracted reactions on social media, with users divided over the company’s proposed hiring approach.
Former Employee Allegedly Behaved Abusively
Karthik later provided more details about what led to the decision.
According to his account, an employee from one of the four states had been dismissed around two weeks earlier. He alleged that the employee had received two warnings but continued to behave abusively towards female employees.
Karthik further alleged that the former employee had attempted to force himself on one female employee.
These claims are allegations made by the entrepreneur in his social media posts and have not been independently established.
Company Has 32 Employees
Karthik said A1 Sports World currently has 32 employees, including 14 women.
He also stated that 20 employees are from other states and that 12 of those employees come from outside South India.
The entrepreneur said the company has employees from different religious backgrounds as well, while defending his stated focus on workplace safety.
CEO Defends The Decision
After facing criticism online, Karthik defended the hiring policy.
He questioned whether conventional recruitment processes could identify problematic behaviour before someone joins an organisation. He also said the former employee had an MBA degree and appeared to have a clean background during the hiring process.
According to Karthik, the alleged behaviour became apparent only after the employee had been with the company for around two months.
He has said he intends to stand by the decision.
Social Media Debate Intensifies
The announcement has generated criticism from users who argue that candidates should be evaluated individually rather than based on their state of origin.
Some questioned whether the actions allegedly committed by one employee could reasonably be used as a basis for excluding male candidates from entire states.
Others focused on the entrepreneur’s stated concerns about protecting female employees and maintaining workplace safety.
Hiring Policy Draws Wider Questions
The controversy has brought attention to the difficult balance between workplace safety and recruitment practices.
Companies can take action against employees accused of misconduct and strengthen screening, reporting and workplace-safety procedures. However, the Bengaluru entrepreneur’s announcement has raised questions about applying a hiring restriction to candidates based on their state of origin.
The debate is likely to continue as social media users discuss whether employers should rely primarily on individual background checks and conduct assessments or adopt broader recruitment restrictions.
No Official Company Policy Documented Beyond The Announcement
The reported restriction comes from the entrepreneur’s public social media statements. It is not clear from the available information whether the company has formally incorporated the proposed restriction into a written recruitment policy or how it would be applied during hiring.
The controversy therefore remains centred on the statements made publicly by the company’s founder and the reactions they have generated online.
Summary
A Bengaluru entrepreneur has announced that his company will not hire male candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, citing alleged abusive behaviour by a former employee from one of the states. The claims remain allegations. The announcement has sparked a social media debate over workplace safety, individual accountability and hiring based on state of origin.