Sridhar Babu intervenes to resolve Brane Enterprises employee crisis

AIPC Chairman highlighted the organisation’s commitment to being a platform for working professionals to seek justice.

November 17, 2024

Hyderabad: Telangana’s Minister of Information Technology and Industries D Sridhar Babu assured former employees of Brane Enterprises that he would summon the company’s management to discuss their grievances and mediate a fair settlement.

His assurance came during a public hearing organised by the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) at Exhibition Grounds on Sunday, where over 100 affected employees gathered to voice their complaints about unpaid salaries and arbitrary terminations.

The employees, representing a larger group of 3,000 professionals, alleged that Brane Enterprises lured them with promises of lucrative positions but failed to pay salaries within months of hiring. Many of these employees, recruited from premier institutes across India, claimed the company abruptly terminated them without notice. They accused Brane Enterprises of hiring en masse to showcase a robust IT engineering team to potential investors, only to dismiss staff once funding goals were achieved.

The hearing was attended by AIPC Chairman Praveen Chakravarty, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud, and State-in-charge Deepadas Munshi. It was overseen by a jury comprising former Justice Chandrakumar, Vijay Mahajan, and Manish Sharma. Employees detailed how the company, allegedly linked to Ramalinga Raju of Satyam fame, claimed to have patented AI software and used this claim to secure investments while neglecting its obligations to its workforce.

Addressing the gathering, Praveen Chakravarty condemned the company’s actions, stating, “This is not a case of business downsizing due to unforeseen circumstances but of deliberate manipulation and unfair practices. Thousands of employees have been treated illegally and unfairly.” He added that such practices reflect a broader issue of unethical handling of professionals in the IT sector, where employees often lack platforms to voice their grievances.

The employees submitted a memorandum of demands, calling for the immediate release of unpaid salaries, settlement of Provident Fund contributions, issuance of payslips for pending salary months, severance packages, and a one-year medical insurance plan for affected employees and their families.

This public hearing marked a rare initiative by a mainstream political party to address the concerns of IT sector professionals. AIPC Chairman Praveen Chakravarty highlighted the organisation’s commitment to being a platform for working professionals to seek justice. Discussions with Brane Enterprises’ management are expected to follow in the coming days.

https://www.siasat.com/sridhar-babu-intervenes-to-resolve-brane-enterprises-employee-crisis-3133431

Suffering in silence: Brane Enterprises sacks 1,500 employees without notice

Over 100 former employees, representing 3,000 employees of Brane Enterprises gathered at Hyderabad narrating the unfair business practices in IT sector

November 18, 2024

Hyderabad: Nagendra is one of 1,500 workers at the city-based company Brane Enterprises who have been sacked without being given any notice. Suffering in silence, the employees are struggling to make ends meet.

Speaking during a public hearing organized by the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) for the distressed employees of Brane Enterprises, Nagendra narrated the ordeal of the employees who have been left to fend for themselves as they were terminated after working without salaries for months.

Over 100 former employees, representing 3,000 employees of Brane Enterprises, gathered at the public hearing at Exhibition Grounds here to voice their grievances on unfair treatment.

Brane Enterprises is a company that is allegedly owned by Ramalinga Raju of Satyam fame and his family. Apart from Hyderabad, the firm also had branches in Bengaluru and other parts of the country.

Nagendra said, “I noticed a problem in April when my March salary was delayed by a few days. I am the sole breadwinner of my family, since May I have been managing my family’s needs by pledging the gold ornaments of my family. My finances are dried up and I have no option to take care of my family now.” Nagendra said that he had tried for a job opportunity in other companies but many of them are offering a very low salary citing my work experience with Brane Enterprises ignoring my overall experience.

“My only appeal to the management is to clear the pending salaries to all the employees at the earliest which helps us to recover from the ongoing debts and mental agony over the few months,” he said and added that due to the lack of jobs, even his profile was not considered for marriage proposals. Vivek, who has been with Brane Enterprises since January 2024, described the difficulties that staff members confront. “Until HR told us in late April that our salaries would be delayed by 14 days, everything appeared to be going OK. Most of us waited patiently, while some panicked. But the real struggle started after 14 days,” he said during the public hearing.

Elaborating, he said that partial payments for April were made to the employees, and things got worse in the months that followed. “Over 3,000 employees had not been paid since, and by August, 1,500 of them had been let go without explanation. We who stayed hoped for progress, but nothing came of it,” he added.

Unaware of Brane Enterprises’ financial difficulties, Pushpita, another impacted employee, started working there in May. “When my first paycheck wasn’t fully credited, I realized how serious the problem was. Since my September layoff, I have had difficulty finding another employment because the employer failed to issue me with a relieving letter or pay stubs. Without these documents, I lost two chances in the last round,” she claimed.

Rahul, a previous worker and alumnus of NIT-Warangal, described a similar experience. “This was my second job, and I chose the organization carefully. I didn’t get paid between May and October. My application to withdraw my provident fund was denied since the company had not made their contribution. Since I am the only provider for my family, this has produced serious problems,” he said.

Minister of IT and Industries D Sridhar Babu also attended the public hearing and spoke about the complaints. In the IT sector, disputes between employers and employees are handled by the Labour Department. He promised that legal action would be taken if Brane Enterprises was proven to have committed any wrongdoing.

“We are dedicated to making sure that those impacted receive justice. The government will call in the company’s management to arrange a fair settlement for the workers,” the Minister said.

Minister of IT and Industries D Sridhar Babu also attended the public hearing and spoke about the complaints. In the IT sector, disputes between employers and employees are handled by the Labour Department. He promised that legal action would be taken if Brane Enterprises was proven to have committed any wrongdoing.

“We are dedicated to making sure that those impacted receive justice. The government will call in the company’s management to arrange a fair settlement for the workers,” the Minister said.

AIPC chairman Praveen Chakravarty said, “We understand the business compulsions of companies and industry to downsize. But this situation with Brane Enterprises is not one of unforeseen business circumstances, but of manipulation and unfair business practices which led to thousands of employees being treated illegally and unfairly.

It seems that to showcase a strong IT engineering team to their investors and in the interest of raising funds, the management of Brane Enterprises, which claimed to have patented AI software, hired 1000s of graduates and subsequently within months let them go without months of payment. It is this unfair and dubious handling of the situation that AIPC is raising issue with.”

https://newsmeter.in/top-stories/suffering-in-silence-brane-enterprises-sack-3000-employees-without-notice-739154?infinitescroll=1

Former Brane employees pour out woes to ministe

November 18, 2024

Hyderabad: Scores of former employees of Brane Enterprises poured out their woes during a public hearing in the city as they grieved unfair treatment. IT Minister D Sridhar Babu assured that in his capacity he would summon the company’s management to hold discussions and will help mediate a fair and just settlement for the employees.

At the public hearing organised by the All India Professionals Congress (AIPC) held in Exhibition grounds, over 100 former employees, representing 3,000 employees of Brane Enterprises, gathered to voice their grievances on ‘unfair treatment’. The distressed employees who were terminated reportedly without months of payment explained the sequence of events and also submitted a memorandum of demands to the Minister.

The Minister who heard the grievances said a team of government officials would be speaking to the management to understand the core issue while coordinating the affected employees towards finding a solution to this.

The IT Minister assured that the welfare of software employees is our concern and the issue will be taken into cognizance. The government will act as a facilitator, and a solution shall be derived.

The employees narrated the instances of how Brane Enterprises had made false promises and recruited them from premier institutes across India, did not pay salaries within four months of onboarding, and fired them arbitrarily. The hearing was to demand justice and compensation for these professionals from Brane Enterprises. “Being recruited through campus placement, I am undergoing a lot of mental distress owing to the present scenario. Because of this, I never landed anywhere, while I am still paying for EMIs for MBA. Those with families are still struggling to pay school fees,” lamented Pushpita, a fresher who was recruited by the company.

Rakshit Agnihotri, another victim, felt that they have studied in institutes like NIT, IIT, and IIMs, but they became victims of the system.

AIPC Chairman Praveen Chakravarty and PCC President B Mahesh Kumar Goud, apart from former Justice B Chandra Kumar, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies, Vijay Mahajan, listened patiently to the distressed professionals.

https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/minister-sridhar-babu-inaugurates-new-campus-of-pstu-at-bachupally-926551

AIPC to hold hearing on Sunday on reported cheating of employees by Hyderabad’s Brane Enterprises

IT Minister Sridhar Babu, AIPC chairman Praveen Chakravarty, TPCC Chief Mahesh Goud to attend public hearing at Exhibition Grounds inn Hyderabad

November 13, 2024

The All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) has announced a public hearing to address allegations against Hyderabad-based IT firm Brane Enterprises on Sunday.

The company, reportedly owned by the family of Ramalinga Raju, has been accused of defrauding approximately 3,000 employees by withholding salaries and terminating staff without dues.

AIPC Chairman Praveen Chakravarty, IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu, and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud will attend the public hearing, which will be held at G.C Hall, Exhibition Grounds, Nampally on Sunday (November 17) at 4 p.m.

According to Mr. Praveen Chakravarty, the hearing has been taken up after receiving multiple complaints from affected employees.

Brane Enterprises, which claimed to pioneer a patented Artificial Intelligence technology, lists the patent under the name of Ramalinga Raju. Mr. Raju was the former chairman of Satyam Computers, who was convicted for his involvement in one of India’s most prominent corporate frauds. Mr. Raju’s sons and daughter are now reportedly managing the company.

According to its 2023 financial report, Brane Enterprises declared a net worth of ₹58 crore, presenting itself as a stable and innovative organisation. However, after aggressively hiring nearly 3,000 employees by early 2024, the company began facing financial issues. Employees reported salary delays starting in April, and by August, around 1,500 employees were abruptly laid off without receiving their pending payments. This has left many struggling with financial uncertainty.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Praveen Chakravarty said: “AIPC is committed to ensuring fair practices and addressing injustices in the corporate sector.” He urged the public, media and advocacy groups to support the event, emphasising the importance of transparency and accountability.

This hearing aims to highlight the challenges employees face in India’s IT industry and push for more robust measures to safeguard rights of workers. The AIPC has called on all stakeholders to join the event and stand in solidarity with the affected professionals.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/aipc-to-hold-hearing-on-alleged-employee-duping-by-hyderabads-brane-enterprises/article68876592.ece