This is for news that covers the period of 06th to 12th April 2026.

The week started with a BANG… for employee rights.

Cognizant Lost Madras HC Appeal about Unfair Dismissal

IT / bodybag giant Cognizant had dismissed an employee who worked there for 18 years. The manner of dismissal was atrocious. This happened in May 2018. Said employee (who started working for Cognizant in 2000) alleged that after responding to a show-cause notice regarding alleged poor performance, he was advised to go on leave in May 2018, and when he returned from work his access card did not work. No formal termination order was given to him. And then ₹5 lakhs (I assume this was his final settlement) was credited to his account.

The company, however, contended that the employee had abandoned his job and was terminated for unauthorised absence after repeated notices (sus). It also claimed that a termination order had been issued on June 6, 2018 (also sus – but if this is true, it was after they had deactivated said employee’s access card).

Unfortunately for the company but fortunately for all of us “normal employees”, said employee challenged his termination under the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishment Act. Then, a labour appellate authority quashed his termination, deeming it illegal and ordered that the employee should be reinstated with benefits due.

Cognizant being… well, Cognizant, thought they could challenge the quashing in the Madras High Court. But they got their corporate backsides handed to them, because the Madras High Court refused to even allow Cognizant’s appeal. The court also observed – and I love this:

Merely because corporate companies have a smart card access system, it cannot be used as a means of terminating service of an employee. It breaches the right to fair working conditions and protections against employment guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that forms part of the Protection of Human Rights Act.” – Justice D. Bharatha Chakravathy

Rejecting the company’s arguments, the court noted that no proper domestic enquiry had been conducted and the termination order was not duly served as required under law. The company also failed to produce evidence of effective communication, including proof of email delivery.

This is a small but significant win for the masses against these so-called IT giants. An employee may be terminated, sure, for poor performance or behaviour issues or whatever as long as there is valid cause. But, due process has to be followed. For a bodybag giant like Cognizant, most of their employees are just numbers. Productivity machines. But they fail to fully appreciate that each one is human and must be respected. And termination is more serious for the employee than for the company, and no matter how rogue the employee might be, due process must be followed.

By the way, I checked said employee’s LinkedIn profile – he has now completed 26 years at Cognizant and is still employed there.

India’s Quantum Leap is Here

India has made a remarkable breakthrough by demonstrating a 1,000-kilometre quantum communication network in under two years under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), far ahead of the original eight-year, 2,000-km goal.

Built with homegrown technology from QNu Labs, a startup supported by the NQM, this rollout is now one of the world’s longest quantum key distribution (QKD) systems, further strengthening India’s quantum-secure infrastructure.

The development is expected to bolster India’s secure communication capabilities in defence, financial services, and critical infrastructure. It is also built to operate in demanding environments such as underwater and underground networks, broadening its civilian and strategic uses.

Oracle Layoffs: 12,000 in India

Oracle’s globaly layoffs (done while the Elisons are buying Netflix and taking Trump to dinner and all) included 12,000 employees being affected in India. That’s out of 30,000 employees. Imagine laying off 40% of your workforce in one country. On April 01st.

It seems another round of layoffs will follow.

Headlines

For the rest of the news, it’s best just to run through them quickly.

• Zepto secured SEBI approval for IPO. Zepto has received regulatory clearance for a ₹11,000 crore ($1.3B) public listing, targeting a July–September 2026 debut at a $7–8B valuation. I’m more convinced with each passing week that the quick commerce industry in India is one giant pyramid scheme.
• Wipro secured one of its largest deals from Singapore-based Olam Group, with a total contract value expected to exceed $1 billion, including an $800 million committed spend. Under the eight-year agreement, Wipro will deliver transformation services to Olam through a consultingled, AI-powered approach, with an annual committed spend of $100 million. I have worked in management consulting for more than 10 years, this is a massive deal. Talk about bodybag industries.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) flagged a lack of transparency in Jio’s tariff plans, including device-specific offers and limited-access vouchers. TRAI then directed Jio to discontinue certain tariff plans and to basically be more transparent about its plans across all customer touchpoints.
• The Delhi Government released a draft of the Delhi EV Policy 2.0. It’s basically a new set of incentives to promote electric vehicles, offering subsidies and benefits to residents who switch to EVs. Incentives can go up to ₹1 lakh but there are a whole bunch of terms and conditions that apply. If you live in Delhi, see here for more details. On the other hand, the State of Karnataka has withdrawn lifetime road tax exemption on electric vehicles, introducing a new tax structure ranging from 5% to 10%, while keeping two-wheelers exempt.
• Digital lending platform KreditBee has become India’s newest unicorn startup after raising $280 million as part of Series E round valuing the business at $1.5 billion. This honestly makes me more nervous (which is why I included it here in this week’s Headlines – normally I don’t care about funding) because why has a digital lending platform – a startup nonetheless – reached a valuation of $1.5 billion?
• Amazon stops support for Kindles released in 2012 and earlier. Good thing my Kindle Paperwhite is from 2013.

Also, UPI completes 10 years since its launch.

Sponsor

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Five Finds of the Week

This week’s theme is what I use to make content. One of you asked me to share what I use on a weekly basis, so here is my very simple setup to record my podcast and video every week:

• For video: the Sony ZV e10K. I know that the average smartphone is good enough to make videos, but if you can and want to make videos regularly, invest in a standalone camera.
• For video (accessories): don’t forget a good tripod. And memory card.
• For audio: I prefer a wireless lapel mic to the shotgun mic, because I sound better. Make sure to get one that’s compatible with your camera or phone.
• For audio (podcast): the Shure MV7.
• For audio (DAW): I’m a bit of a music nerd, so I use a Shure SM7B plugged into my Audient EVO4 digital audio workstation. Sometimes I plug my guitar into it too.

Disclosure: the sponsor and product links above are affiliate links and if you use them to make a purchase, I may be supported with some affiliate income. This does not in any way impact my independence and integrity. Read my code of ethics for more details and reach out to me if you have a concern.

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