Business magnate Ratan Tata said that companies laying off employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic shows lack of empathy among the top leadership of the firms. In an interview with Your Story, the Tata sons chairman emeritus asked why the employees are being 'sent out to live in the rain' and questioned their definition of ethics of 'treating the labour force that way'.

"These are the people that have worked for you. These are the people who have served you all their careers. You send them out to live in the rain. Is that your definition of ethics when you treat your labour force that way?” Tata was quoted by the website as saying.