Tech Mahindra Denies Religious Bias Allegations at Mumbai's Goregaon Office Amid TCS Nashik Row

Tech Mahindra has formally denied allegations of religious bias and a divisive workplace culture at its Goregaon facility in Mumbai, following a series of viral social media posts. The denial comes as the Indian IT sector faces broader scrutiny over office conduct, intensified by an ongoing police investigation into similar allegations at a Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unit in Nashik.

Tech Mahindra Refutes Claims

In an official statement, Tech Mahindra addressed specific claims circulating online, including a widely shared image of a ‘Footwear Free Zone’ purportedly located within their Mumbai premises. The company clarified that the image did not originate from any of its offices and dismissed an anonymous post regarding discriminatory hiring practices as false.

"We take such concerns seriously and conducted an internal review, which found these claims to be inaccurate and unfounded," the company stated. The tech giant stated that no coercive or inappropriate conduct is permitted within its operations.

The controversy gained momentum after Ashutosh J. Dubey, an advocate at the Bombay High Court and a legal advisor for the BJP Maharashtra, shared a message on X (formerly Twitter) which he claimed was sent to him by an anonymous employee.

TCS Nashik Row

The allegations against Tech Mahindra surfaced amidst a significant legal situation at TCS’s Nashik unit. On Thursday, TCS instructed its Nashik-based staff to work from home, citing the "convenience and safety of employees" as investigations into workplace misconduct deepened.

Nashik police have registered nine First Information Reports (FIRs) based on complaints from staff members. The allegations include sexual harassment, intimidation, and attempts at religious coercion. To date, six employees and an assistant general manager have been arrested, while authorities continue to search for another female suspect.

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Due to the nature of the claims, local police have expanded their inquiry to include high-level state and national agencies. Authorities have written to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), and state intelligence units to investigate potential extremist links or foreign funding.

Investigators noted that several of the accused held supervisory roles, allegedly using their seniority to target junior colleagues. Police reports suggest a "coordinated pattern of behaviour" within the Nashik office, as certain individuals were named repeatedly across multiple independent complaints.