Employment discrimination based on regional origin
“Today we have made it very clear after lengthy discussion and quarrel... We will not hire any male candidates in our company who come from these 4 states in north india... 1. Uttar Pradesh. 2. Rajasthan. 3. Bihar. 4. Madhya Pradesh.”
On 22 September 2026, Karthik SG (@kkarthikkgs), founder of Bengaluru-based A1 Sports World and a self-described sports entrepreneur, publicly announced that his company would no longer hire male candidates from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, or Madhya Pradesh. He later said the decision followed alleged misconduct by a former employee and defended the blanket hiring restriction with the statement, “my company my rules.” Karthik’s public profile describes prior involvement with the IPL, ISL, Pro Wrestling League, Hockey and Cricket World Cups, Commonwealth Games 2010, London Olympics 2012, and the Sports Authority of India. The incident constitutes explicit employment discrimination based on regional origin combined with gender-based exclusion, generalising alleged individual misconduct to male applicants from four entire states.