Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Global business giants participate in India’s first LGBTI job fair  

AN LGBTI job fair, billed by organisers as the first such event in India, attracted more than 250 people on Friday (12) looking for employment with companies including Intel, Goldman Sachs and Uber.

The event in the southern city of Bengaluru comes after India's top court, Supreme Court overruled a law banning homosexuality in 2018, which the organisers said now enables companies to freely hire people who have been marginalised for years.


Many Indians who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) still face stigma and violence.

But the 2018 ruling has helped some in the LGBTI community come out and it now forces companies to be more inclusive, said Srini Ramaswamy, co-founder of Bengaluru-based consultancy Pride Circle, which organised the job fair.

"Now these companies are not going to give an excuse that it is against the law," Ramaswamy said. "If you're not being inclusive, it indirectly means you're being homophobic."

Western companies including Goldman Sachs, PayPal, Lowe's, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Accenture and American Express took part in the event, with more than 250 jobs on offer.

A total of 350 candidates had registered for the event which offered roles ranging from experienced positions to entry-level and support-staff, Ramaswamy said.

Software engineer Arun Gnanavignesh said he had felt ostracized by fellow workers when they learned he was gay.

"Colleagues who were really close to me suddenly stopped calling me for movies or to their homes ... I was really hurt," said Gnanavignesh, 22, who has since resigned from that job.

The turnout at the fair was relatively thin, partly because many still fear stigma and several of those people who spoke with asked not to be identified.

Typically, job fairs in India attract thousands even when only a few hundred jobs are on offer and the government has faced criticism for its failure to create enough job opportunities for the millions annually entering the workforce.

The government's national jobs portal currently lists more than 10.2 million active job seekers for some 386,000 vacancies.

Uber, which had a booth and was looking to recruit people at the job fair, changed all its route maps in Bengaluru to rainbow colours on Friday in a show of support.

"We are committed to creating an environment that works for everyone," Vishpala Reddy, Uber's regional human resources director, said in an email.

"We also want dignity. Am I not qualified enough to work in an office? Of course, I am," Mala Bai, 27, a transgender law student, who applied for jobs at JP Morgan and Accenture, said.

(Reuters)

More For You

Tesco Clubcard Changes: Update Your App Before the Deadline

The digital Clubcard offers convenience and flexibility

Getty

Tesco Clubcard changes: Customers urged to update app before Monday deadline

Tesco has issued an urgent call for action to millions of its Clubcard users, advising them to update their Tesco Shopping & Clubcard app before Monday, 31 March 2025. The supermarket giant is rolling out an important update to improve data protection and online security, and failure to update the app by the deadline will leave customers unable to access their digital Clubcard benefits.

Update to ensure enhanced security

The upcoming changes are being implemented to enhance the security of customer data and improve overall protection. Tesco has highlighted the importance of this upgrade, as it seeks to safeguard customer information and keep their online shopping experiences secure.

Keep ReadingShow less
OpenAI Restricts ChatGPT’s Image Feature After Viral Ghibli Trend

Altman addressed the impact of the popular Ghibli-style image trend on OpenAI’s resources

Getty

OpenAI limits ChatGPT’s image generation feature amid viral Ghibli image trend

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced temporary limitations on the company’s image generation feature in response to overwhelming demand driven by a viral trend. On Thursday, Altman addressed the impact of the popular Ghibli-style image trend on OpenAI’s resources, particularly its reliance on GPUs (graphics processing units). Altman revealed that the surge in demand for ChatGPT’s image generation tool has led to significant strain on the company’s infrastructure, prompting the introduction of temporary speed limits for users.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman shared the company’s response to the unexpected demand, stating, “It’s super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, but our GPUs are melting. We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. Hopefully won’t be long! ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.”

Keep ReadingShow less
UK-business-district-Getty
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

Economic growth in 2024 slightly higher than estimated: ONS

THE UK economy grew slightly more than first estimated in 2024, according to official data released on Friday, providing a small boost for the government after it revised down its growth forecast for 2025.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product expanded by 1.1 per cent in 2024, up from an initial estimate of 0.9 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Lanka posts five per cent GDP growth as it ends years of economic decline

Sri Lanka's president Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka posts five per cent GDP growth as it ends years of economic decline

CASH-STRAPPED Sri Lanka’s economy grew by five per cent in 2024, marking the first full year of expansion since its unprecedented meltdown in 2022, official data showed last Tuesday (18).

The last quarter of 2024 saw the economy expand by 5.4 per cent, bringing the full calendar year’s GDP growth to five per cent, compared to a contraction of 2.3 per cent in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said, 'What we’re going to be doing is a 25 per cent tariff on all cars that are not made in the US.'

Getty Images

Trump imposes 25 per cent tariffs on foreign-built cars

US president Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on imported cars and auto parts, escalating trade tensions with key partners.

The new duties take effect on 3 April and apply to foreign-made cars and light trucks, with additional levies on key auto parts set to follow within the month.

Keep ReadingShow less