Offrd Times · Monday, 25 May 2026

In this edition Karnataka raises minimum wages by about 60 per cent, third state to revise · Andhra Pradesh to open 38 MSME parks at its 25 May growth summit · 5 more items below.

Policy

Karnataka raises minimum wages by about 60 per cent, third state to revise

The Hans India · Reported 10:52 am IST

The Karnataka government has notified a revised minimum wage structure, raising rates by an average of 60 per cent. Officials expect more than one crore workers in the unorganised and specified sectors to benefit. The state is the third to act after Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. For the first time all scheduled employments sit under a single notification, and the old four zone classification has been cut to three. Every covered employer in the state, small firms included, must now rework payroll against the new floor.

Read in full at The Hans India →

Transport allowance tax break for staff with disabilities rises from FY27

The government has sharply raised the transport allowance tax exemption for employees who are blind, deaf and mute, or have orthopaedic disabilities. From FY27, eligible staff in metro cities can claim up to Rs 15,000 a month tax free plus dearness allowance, against the current Rs 3,200 cap. The non metro limit is Rs 8,000 plus DA. Returns for FY26 stay on the old cap. Employers will need to apply the revised exemption when they calculate TDS, under both tax regimes.

HR Katha · 4:00 pm

Practice

Hyderabad firm pays staff to switch to electric vehicles and carpool

Aja Consulting Services, a Hyderabad technology firm, has launched what it calls a Green Workplace Movement, paying employees Rs 10,000 toward an electric car and Rs 5,000 toward an electric two wheeler. It has added a separate incentive for staff who carpool to work. The sums do not close the price gap with petrol models, but paired with lower running costs they nudge the decision. It is a small example of a private employer putting cash behind commuting choices, not just office policy.

HR Katha · 5:00 pm

Practice

India Inclusive Summit weighs accessible workplaces and disability hiring

The National Association for the Blind, Delhi, hosted the India Inclusive Summit 2026 in New Delhi, drawing policymakers, accessibility experts and corporate leaders. Sessions covered digital accessibility, inclusive employment and accessible workplaces, with one panel arguing that accessibility belongs in product and hiring strategy, not only in compliance. The Inclusive India Awards went to Microsoft, Mumbai based BarrierBreak and accessibility lawyer Amar Jain. For employers, it is a prompt to treat disability hiring and workplace access as everyday design choices.

SMEStreet · 10:45 am