Abstract
The growth of start-ups in India has been accompanied by a dynamic and rapidly evolving labor market. However, the nature of start-ups, characterized by high uncertainty and fierce competition, often leads to workforce downsizing, commonly known as layoffs. These layoffs have significant implications for industrial relations in the start-up sector. This research paper aims to explore the challenges, implications, and strategies associated with industrial relations after recent layoffs in start-ups in India. By analyzing the current landscape, and reviewing relevant literature, this paper provides insights into the post-layoff industrial relations scenario and offers recommendations for stakeholders involved. The recent wave of layoffs in the Indian start-up industry has brought to light the complex and ever-evolving dynamics of industrial relations in the country. The Indian start-up industry has seen a remarkable growth in the last decade, attracting both domestic and foreign investments. However, the industry has been plagued by numerous challenges such as unstable funding, hyper-competition, regulatory hurdles, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many start-ups have resorted to laying off employees as a measure to cut costs and sustain their operations. This paper aims to explore the industrial relations issues arising out of recent layoffs in Indian startups.
Keywords
- layoffs
- restructuring
- stakeholders
- redeployment
- founders
Author affiliations
- Dr. Neeraj Chaudhary, Assistant Professor, Institute of Business Studies, Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut
How to cite
Chaudhary(2023). Industrial Relations After Recent Layoffs in Start-ups in India: Challenges, Implications, and Strategies. Issue No. 1. Vol. 17 p. 57-65
References (11)
- 1.Innovation ecosystem in India : Rama Iyer, Notion Press, 2019Startup Ecosystem in India Text & Cases: Dr Ramesh Sardar and Dr Ganesh Waghamare, HimalayanPublishers, 2021
- 2.Handbook for Start-ups: - A Tax and Regulatory Guide, Radhika Jain, Bloomsbury Professional , 2021Dream Founder, The: Creating a Successful Start-up, Dhruv Nath, Penguin Portfolio, 2022
- 3.Agarwal, A. (2019). Labour Flexibility and Precarity: An Indian Perspective. In A. Agarwal & S. Chatterjee(Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Contemporary India (pp. 228-245). Routledge.
- 4.Agarwal, S., & Misra, S. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on labor market outcomes of skilled and unskilled workersin India. Journal of Industrial Relations, 62(3), 421-442.
- 5.Bhandari, P., & Tyagi, P. (2020). Industrial relations and labor laws in India: A comparative analysis of pre-ndpost-COVID-19 scenario. International Journal of Sociology and SocialPolicy, 40(9/10), 1132-1146.
- 6.Chatterjee, D., & Pradhan, J. P. (2019). Precarious employment and collective bargaining in India: The case ofthe IT sector. The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 62(3), 519-536.
- 7.Gopal, S. (2021). The Impact of Layoffs on Employee Well-being: A Study of Start-ups in India. EmployeeRelations, 43(2), 428-444.Kumar, A., &Zetlin-Jones, A. (2021). The effect of layoffs on future firm performance: Evidence from India.Journal of Corporate Finance, 68, 101942.
- 8.Mukherjee, S., & Purohit, B. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and the Indian economy: Short-term shocks and longtermimplications. Journal of Public Affairs, 20(4), e2263.
- 9.Rani, P., & Mishra, S. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on Indian labor market: Evidence from the PLFS dataset.Journal of Asian Economics, 77, 101307.
- 10.Verma, A., & Gupta, S. (2021). Layoffs during COVID-19: An analysis of employment protection in India. IZADiscussion Paper No. 13986. Institute of Labor Economics.
- 11.Verma, S., & Ojha, A. (2020). Industrial relations in India: Recent trends and emerging issues. Indian Journal ofIndustrial Relations, 55(3), 447-460.
