Kerala’s Talrop Shuts 21 Firms, Blames AI Disruption as 300+ Employees Protest Unpaid Salaries

Kerala’s Talrop Shuts 21 Firms, Blames AI Disruption as 300+ Employees Protest Unpaid Salaries

Kerala’s Talrop shuts 21 firms, blames AI disruption as 300+ employees protest unpaid salaries across the state. The Kochi-based company closed its ecosystem operations recently.

Consequently, over 300 workers now face joblessness and months of missing wages. Affected staff staged a protest march at the Thrikkakara headquarters on Saturday.

They demanded immediate payment of outstanding dues. This demonstration followed an official Instagram announcement confirming the sweeping closures.

Talrop Frames Closures as Strategic Transition

Talrop described the shutdown as a deliberate pivot toward artificial intelligence. Sustaining the previous model required nearly ₹100 crore annually.

Therefore, the company is shifting to an institution-driven approach called Talrop 7.0. Management claims the old community model cannot survive the AI era.

Employees Report Months of Unpaid Wages

However, workers tell a different story about these sudden closures. Talrop quietly shut 38 Village Parks offices without resolving pending dues.

Some staff members report going nearly a year without pay. One employee has not received a salary for 11 consecutive months.

Additionally, a former employee says she is still owed 10 months of salary. She appealed during a family medical emergency but received no help.

Multiple employees state the company stopped responding to labour department complaints. Originally, Talrop aimed to build a Silicon Valley-style innovation hub in Kerala.

Later, it pivoted heavily toward Built-Operate-Transfer projects using external investment. These included Techies Parks, Healthcare Malls, and Child Development Centres.

Company Promises Payment Before October

A spokesperson characterized the closure as temporary rather than permanent. They cited both AI shifts and economic disruption from West Asia conflicts.

The company intends to clear all pending salaries before October. Future focus will center exclusively on real estate and infrastructure projects.

Furthermore, Talrop states it is cooperating with Kerala’s labour department. Officials confirmed that the situation escalated gradually over time.

Labour Department Directs Staff to Court

Initially, the department received only a few complaints that Talrop settled. However, claim volumes grew and the company stopped engaging altogether.

Officials then directed aggrieved employees toward filing formal claim petitions. Employees have since approached labour offices in Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kannur.

Many now brace for a prolonged legal process to recover lost income. This marks another blow to Kerala’s tech sector following recent mass layoffs elsewhere.