With the IT sector going through a rather longer slowdown period, companies in Bangalore face a new challenge: a curtailed ‘11 p.m.’ dinner time.

Some time ago, the Karnataka Government passed an order asking all restaurants and public places to close down by 11 p.m. but those were the days when the corporate sector, especially the IT sector, was going through a rather purple patch.

But with continued slowdown, clients of major IT companies want more value for the similar dollar investments and higher employee utilisation translating into longer working hours.

“With the ‘shut down’ order, employees are unable to have their dinner after work hours and this is putting them off when it comes to joining IT/BPO companies,” Mr Phaneesh Murthy, President and CEO, iGATE, said.

He said that most IT companies outsource their food requirements and during dinner time, contractors are not able to deliver food post 11 p.m. Neither the employees have the option to go out for dinner because of the gag order.

What has alarmed honchos like Mr Murthy is the fact that clients now want IT companies like his to look for alternative destinations such as the Philippines which could mean higher opex at a time when they are trying to reduce costs.

Officials in the BPO companies concur with Mr Murthy pointing out that stress busters such as an active nightlife are no longer available. “Sometimes, we have client engagements in the US, which could have a 12-hour time difference and by the time the work is finished, we barely have time to de-stress,” said a senior project manager at Genpact here.

“It seems the local government is determined to close down Bangalore itself,” popular fashion designer Mr Prasad Bidappa said.

He said Bangalore is not being treated like any other international metro cities. “On the one hand, we have ‘band baaja’ to attract investments into the State, on the other hand what are we offering in return for investments coming into Bangalore,” he asked.

>venkatesh.ganesh@thehindu.co.in

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