A hiring decision by Bengaluru-based sports organisation A1 Sports World has created a heated controversy on social media.
The company’s founder and CEO Karthik SG said that the organisation had decided not to recruit male candidates from four northern Indian states - Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. People have since asked what is the rationale for this recruitment policy on the basis of employment in these places.
Karthik posted in social media about the decision after what he described as a thorough discussion. He said the company would no longer employ male candidates from the four states. The announcement was immediate and attracted attention because it tied qualifications, experience and job requirements to a candidate’s state of origin.
Karthik also said that he regretted the decision and was sorry for it. He also claimed that a Rajasthan employee already working for the organisation had been completely in favour of the decision. The statement also fueled the controversy on social media as people began to talk about whether employers should be able to limit recruiting on the basis of the regional background of a candidate.
The CEO's comments have received mixed reactions on social media. Some users have been in favor of the company whereas others have strongly criticized the announcement and described it as discriminatory. The debate has also brought attention to the larger issue of regional identity and employment opportunities in Bengaluru, a city that attracts workers and professionals from across India.
Karthik even made comments on some of these comments and tried to explain the rationale behind the company's decision. He said that A1 Sports World is aimed at children and thus hasn't taken any risks with hiring them. He also spoke more generally about young men from the four states; they don't know the value of life. These remarks themselves were a major topic of discussion online.
The comments have raised questions about how companies are assessing potential employees and whether broad assertions about where people are from in the world are appropriate in hiring. In general, critics of the CEO’s position say we should consider qualifications, professional experience, conduct and suitability for a role based on regional background, not regional background. In the same vein, the CEO’s position has been that the company should ensure safety for children.
Im sorry for this...
— Karthik SG (@kkarthikkgs) September 22, 2026
But today we have made it very clear after lengthy discussion and quarrel...
We will not hire any male candidates in our company who come from these 4 states in north india...
1. Uttar Pradesh.
2. Rajasthan.
3. Bihar.
4. Madhya Pradesh.
We do have 1…
The controversy comes as Bengaluru has a long history of being a place of employment for the region’s people from all parts of India. It has more than a range of employees in the technology, sports, education, retail and service sectors from many states and linguistic backgrounds and so discussions of regional restrictions on employment can become very touchy and so they are often open to scrutiny.
At present, the announcement has generated much of a social media debate; responses are divided over the company’s stated concerns and how it intends to respond. And the debate is a reminder of the importance of clear and role-specific recruitment standards in organisations where workers are working with children.
