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Technicolor India team not given funds to pay salaries: Biren Ghose, India head
MUMBAI: In a devastating blow to India’s animation and visual effects industry, Technicolor India has left thousands of employees unpaid for February 2025 and facing profound uncertainty about their future.
During an online town hall meeting held presumably on Wednesday, a visibly tense Technicolor India head Biren Ghose delivered the shocking news, revealing that he himself and other senior local leadership had been entirely blindsided by the decision, learning of it only when they received an unexpected email from the company’s global CEO that morning. (The townhall video has been leaked online on YouTube.)
Ghose methodically explained the structural relationship between Technicolor India and its parent company, emphasising that the Indian division functions exclusively as a global delivery centre.
“We operate solely as a production hub for Technicolor’s international sites while Paris headquarters maintains absolute control over all corporate functions—finance, accounting, payables, technology, HR and all the backbone functions of the organization,” he stated. This arrangement, he clarified, meant that “India works and delivers for our various global sites. They are our customers; they deal with our clients world over, we deliver to them, we invoice them, and they pay us,” underscoring the fundamentally dependent nature of the Indian operation.
In what appeared to be an attempt to distance himself from responsibility, Ghose revealed that despite what he characterised as persistent, diligent and increasingly urgent requests to corporate headquarters for operating funds over a period of several months, the parent company has categorically refused to release any money to the Indian operation.
“Unless headquarters releases these funds, we will not be in a position to pay salaries or other dues which are quite significant across the company in India,” he said. “We have all been impacted by this like everyone else on this call.”
The immediate practical consequences for employees are severe and multifaceted. The company’s offices have been rendered completely inoperative, with all staff instructed to work from home while protracted negotiations continue with landlords about the future of their premises. In a particularly distressing development for employees who left personal belongings at their workstations, they have been explicitly instructed not to attempt collection until further notice from the facilities team, who plan to coordinate access on a floor-by-floor basis at some unspecified future date.
In what numerous employees later described as the most contentious and troubling moment during the town hall, Ghose appeared to issue a thinly veiled warning against potential legal action.
“I cannot be held financially responsible as your management team and leader in India,” he stated emphatically. “However, whatever action you take can work against finding any solutions through our conversations with clients and potential partners. I am not promising we will find any, but if you don’t function as a team, we don’t function as a team, we could drive away potential solutions.”
This statement was widely interpreted by attendees as an attempt to discourage employees from pursuing legitimate legal remedies.
While repeatedly acknowledging the trauma experienced by staff and referring to the affected workforce as “best in class talent,” Ghose offered little in the way of concrete assistance beyond saying the company’s HR team has committed to providing documentation and support to help employees find new positions elsewhere.
“It is unfortunate that this has happened to the best in class talent,” he remarked, in what many employees felt was a grossly inadequate response to their dire circumstances.
The abrupt cessation of operations has left employees not only without February salaries but also facing uncertainty regarding provident fund contributions, and other statutory entitlements. Industry observers note that this sudden closure raises profound questions about Technicolor’s global financial health, corporate governance practices, and ethical commitment to its Indian workforce. The situation has sent shockwaves through India’s animation and VFX community, which had long viewed Technicolor as a stable and prestigious employer.
For thousands of skilled professionals who now face abrupt career disruption and immediate financial hardship with no advance warning, the company’s handling of the situation appears to constitute a significant breach of trust, leaving many questioning whether they will ever receive their rightful compensation for work already performed. Online chat rooms feature employees venting out their frustration at what they called being “cheated.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
