Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said he would make the display of the state’s iconic Kannada flag mandatory at private company premises.
The red-and-yellow flag has been put on the front burner as debates rage over Kannada identity and employment for local people. Private establishments IT and biotechnology companies across the state will be affected by this move, he added.
Karnataka government is once again pushing to give the Kannada flag official status and legal framework so that it can be displayed along with the Indian National Flag.
Shivakumar announced it at the 71st Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations in Bengaluru on November 1, 2026.
Reports say that state government is likely to prepare an order during November regarding display of Kannada flag at private company premises.
The proposal has drawn attention because Karnataka has many technology companies, multinational corporations, manufacturing units and business establishments.
What’s not clear is what exactly will be covered by the proposed order, how implementation will be done and what would be the punishment for non-compliance.
Government is still working out the legal and policy framework for formalising the initiative.
The announcement comes at a time when the state is again debating employment opportunities for Kannadigas in private sector.
Complaints about alleged discrimination against local candidates by IT and other companies in recruitment have come to light in recent weeks.
ತಾಯಿ ನುಡಿ ಸೇವೆಗಿಂತ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಧರ್ಮ ಮತ್ತೊಂದಿಲ್ಲ ಇಂದು ಶಾಲಾ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಕ್ಷರತಾ ಇಲಾಖೆ ವತಿಯಿಂದ ಶ್ರೀ ಕಂಠೀರವ ಹೊರಾಂಗಣ ಕ್ರೀಡಾಂಗಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಯೋಜಿಸಿದ್ದ ೭೧ನೇ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಅಂಶಗಳು. https://t.co/0LNuzBmSvV
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 1, 2026
Shivakumar has said before that pro-Kannada organisations should not take matters into their own hands or create problems for companies and he has also said complaints of discriminatory hiring would be looked into by government.
The latest flag proposal has therefore become part of a broader debate on what relationship there is between private businesses, Kannada identity and state’s responsibilities towards local residents.
Meanwhile pro-Kannada organisation Kannada Rakshana Vedike (KRV) has announced a statewide drive to find out how many Kannadigas are employed by private technology and manufacturing companies.
KRV representatives would approach companies seeking employment details, said its president T A Narayana Gowda adding that the organisation wanted companies to respect employment rights of Kannadigas.
The data collection drive proposed and government announcement have put local representation in private-sector jobs back into public domain.
Apart from private companies the Karnataka government is also considering making hoisting of Kannada flag mandatory at government offices and institutions which receive financial support from the state.
They want it to be displayed with dignity beside the National Flag but only if rules are framed clearly.
Shivakumar has said that legal aspects of recognition and display of the flag will come up in the winter session of the Karnataka legislature to be held at Belagavi next month.
The government is expected to seek public and legislative opinion before taking a final call on the issue.
The issue of official recognition for Karnataka’s state flag is not new either.
In 2018 then Siddaramaiah government approved a proposal for a separate state flag with yellow, white and red horizontal bands (with the Gandaberunda Karnataka’s state emblem at the centre).
It was sent to Union government for approval but did not get recognition. The present government is now trying to revisit it afresh through discussions and legal consultation. What design would the flag take and how it should be used officially are matters still to be decided.
The familiar red-and-yellow Kannada flag has been a potent symbol of the language, culture and identity of the state for decades. It is displayed widely during Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations, cultural events and public gatherings.
Chief Minister Shivakumar has said the flag represents Kannada pride heritage knowledge harmony social equality. Government feels giving it legal status will give recognition to the flag and also ensure that it does not clash with rules on National Flag.
There is also a legal history to the proposal. In 2012 a government circular asking for Kannada flag to be displayed at certain government buildings and educational institutions was withdrawn after Karnataka High Court questioned its legality.
Shivakumar had also called in 2024 for educational institutions, factories, commercial establishments and private companies to hoist Kannada flag on November 1 and organise cultural programmes.
The announcement of today indicates that government wants more than occasional celebrations it wants a formal policy too.
Private companies should distinguish between the Chief Minister’s announcement and a final enforceable government order. Rules, legal provisions and implementation details are not yet in place.
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