Author: Asher J

Aja Consulting Services has launched a new employee initiative aimed at encouraging greener commuting habits by offering financial incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs). As part of what the company calls its “Green Workplace Movement,” employees will receive Rs 10,000 toward the purchase of an electric four-wheeler and Rs 5,000 for buying an electric two-wheeler. The company has also introduced a separate incentive programme to encourage carpooling among employees during daily commutes. The initiative reflects a growing trend among private companies to expand sustainability efforts beyond office operations and infrastructure. While many organisations focus on measures such as…

Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff reiterated the company’s focus on AI-driven productivity and human-AI collaboration during a recent episode of the “All-In” podcast, outlining how artificial intelligence is reshaping workforce planning and enterprise operations. Speaking about the evolving software industry and the rise of AI agents, Benioff said Salesforce has been able to improve productivity significantly through the use of AI tools such as Agentforce and coding assistants. He referred to the company’s earlier decision to pause additional software engineering hires in 2025, a move he had previously linked to productivity gains exceeding 30%. Salesforce, which employs around 83,000…

Amazon employees are reportedly increasing their use of internal artificial intelligence tools amid growing workplace pressure around AI adoption, according to media reports. The company has expanded deployment of an internal AI platform known as “MeshClaw,” which allows employees to build AI agents capable of automating tasks and interacting with workplace software systems. The tools are designed to assist with coding, email management and other routine work activities. Reports suggest some employees believe AI usage is becoming an informal indicator of performance within the company, even though Amazon has reportedly told staff that AI adoption metrics will not directly affect…

Air India has deferred annual salary increments for employees by at least one quarter as the airline faces rising fuel costs and broader operational pressures linked to geopolitical disruptions. The decision was communicated during an internal townhall attended by Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson, Chief Financial Officer Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer Ravindra Kumar GP, according to multiple media reports. During the meeting, airline management told employees that layoffs are not currently being planned. The company also said performance-linked variable pay for the previous financial year and employee promotions would continue as scheduled. Air India’s management reportedly cited…

KPMG has introduced an internal dashboard to monitor how frequently employees use artificial intelligence tools, as part of a broader effort to integrate AI into daily work processes across its US advisory division. The system sets a 75 per cent AI usage target for many employees and enables staff to track their activity against internal benchmarks. Employees can review their usage patterns, compare adoption levels with peers, and assess alignment with company expectations. The dashboard consolidates activity data from both internal and external AI platforms, including tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot. The initiative reportedly covers around 10,000 employees and…

Infosys has approved a new round of stock-based incentives for employees, reinforcing its approach of linking compensation with long-term performance and retention. The approvals were disclosed in the company’s fourth-quarter regulatory filing and were cleared by the board on 22 April, following recommendations from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. The incentives will be issued under two existing frameworks — the 2015 Stock Incentive Compensation Plan and the Expanded Stock Ownership Programme introduced in 2019. Under the 2015 plan, the company has approved over 27,000 restricted stock units (RSUs), which will vest gradually over two to three years, aimed at encouraging…

A High Court has ruled that establishments cannot evade coverage under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 by restructuring payroll records to appear below the statutory employee threshold. The judgment came in a case involving the Diamond Silk Khadi Society, a khadi institution operating under Khadi and Village Industries Commission norms. The organisation had challenged orders issued by Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) authorities, which assessed contributions after determining that the establishment employed more than 10 workers. The society contended that it had only nine employees and argued that several individuals associated with its operations were independent artisans rather than formal…

KPMG has initiated layoffs in its US advisory division, reducing its workforce by around 4% as demand softens in select consulting areas, particularly regulatory and financial services advisory. The job cuts impact approximately 400 employees out of more than 10,000 professionals in the firm’s US advisory business. The reductions are largely concentrated in roles related to regulatory risk, customer operations, and financial services consulting. According to reports, a significant share of those affected were in lower performance bands, while senior leadership, including partners, has not been impacted. The firm has been addressing a mismatch between earlier hiring expansion and current…

Axis Bank is set to reduce its workforce by more than 3,100 employees in FY26, as technology-driven productivity improvements begin to reshape its operational structure. The bank’s total headcount has already declined from about 1.04 lakh to 1.01 lakh, reflecting broad-based reductions across functions rather than cuts in any single department. The workforce rationalisation is linked to the bank’s sustained investments in digital transformation over the past few years. Axis Bank has been allocating close to 10% of its operating expenses toward technology initiatives, enabling automation of processes and streamlining of operations. These efficiency gains have reduced the need for…

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has introduced a system that tracks how employees interact with their computers as part of its expanding artificial intelligence (AI) efforts. The initiative, known as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), records activity such as keystrokes, mouse clicks, and interactions within internal applications. According to the company, the data will be used to train AI systems aimed at improving the automation of everyday computer-based tasks. Meta has stated that the information collected will be used solely for AI development and that safeguards are in place to protect sensitive data. However, the rollout…