Indian IT body asks govt to issue official work-from-home advisory after PM Modi's call for 'austerity measures'

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on companies to adopt work-from-home policies to cope with the disruption in supplies caused by the Iran War, an IT sector employee body has requested a government advisory mandating remote work for the industry. The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has written to the labour ministry seeking an official statement on the matter. Notably, India's IT industry employs nearly 5.8 million people across the country. Modi called for WFH at a gathering in Hyderabad on Sunday (May 10), along with several other austerity measures to combat the shortage of fuel and other supplies. The body also sent the letter to employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya, writing that the move aligns with Modi’s appeal to adopt ways to reduce fuel consumption, cut down on unnecessary travel and adopt remote working practices amid global uncertainties.

The body argued that WFH in the IT/ITES sector will not disrupt productivity, something that was proven during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies across sectors adopted Work From Home measures in 2020, which stayed the norm for several years. However, companies started moving back to offices in the past three years. "The experience of the pandemic clearly established that mandatory work-from-home in suitable IT roles is practical, technologically feasible, and operationally sustainable," NITES said in the letter dated 11 May.

NITES said an advisory should direct companies to adopt WFH “wherever operationally feasible” for a defined period. Having lakhs of employees commute daily despite the availability of digital alternatives places "avoidable pressure on fuel consumption, urban infrastructure and public transport", it said.

PM Modi calls for austerity measures amid Iran War

On Sunday, the PM urged Indians to adopt a set of measures that could help things run smoothly as the situation in West Asia continues to remain tense. Despite the ceasefire and later Trump's announcement that the conflict had ended, things haven't changed much in the region. The economic repercussions of the over two-month war are still being felt and are not expected to abate soon. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil supplies took a major hit.

Don't buy gold, don't travel abroad

Modi also asked people to use petrol and diesel sparingly. "In this time of global crisis, we have to make a resolution keeping duty paramount and fulfil it with complete dedication. A big resolution is to use petrol and diesel sparingly. We must curb our use of petrol and diesel," he said. People should use public transport as much as possible and choose carpooling. He said the use of electric vehicles should be promoted. The PM also said people should avoid buying gold for a year, arguing that gold imports place added strain on India’s foreign exchange reserves. He also said non-essential overseas travel should be avoided to ease pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.