After PM Modi’s call to cut unnecessary travel, NITES seeks mandatory work from home for IT firms
The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has written to the Ministry of Labour and Employment seeking a government advisory mandating work from home (WFH) for the IT and IT-enabled services (IT/ITES) sector, citing fuel conservation, traffic reduction and broader national interest concerns.
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In a letter dated May 11 addressed to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, NITES said the move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to citizens and establishments to adopt measures such as work from home, virtual meetings and reduced unnecessary travel amid global geopolitical and economic challenges.
“The statement was not merely an operational suggestion. It was a national call for collective responsibility during a sensitive period where reducing fuel dependency, traffic burden, and unnecessary consumption becomes part of contributing towards national interest,” the employee body said in the letter.
NITES argued that the IT/ITES industry is uniquely positioned to implement large-scale remote work without disrupting productivity, pointing to the sector’s performance during the Covid-19 pandemic. The body said Indian IT companies had already demonstrated that remote working models were “practical, technologically feasible, and operationally sustainable.”
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“During the COVID-19 pandemic, almost the entire Indian IT industry transitioned to Work from Home within a very short period,” the letter noted. “Despite one of the most difficult global crises in modern history, the Indian IT sector maintained operations, delivered international projects, supported global clients, protected economic activity, and contributed significantly to the stability of the Indian economy.”
The employee union further claimed that forcing lakhs of employees to commute daily despite the availability of digital alternatives was placing unnecessary pressure on fuel consumption, public infrastructure and employee well-being.
“Employees in metropolitan cities spend several hours daily travelling despite performing work that can effectively be delivered remotely,” NITES said. “This not only impacts physical and mental health, but also results in avoidable fuel usage and environmental burden.”
The union has requested the Labour Ministry to issue an advisory directing IT/ITES firms and digitally deliverable service sectors to implement mandatory work from home “wherever operationally feasible” for an appropriate period.
According to the letter, such a move could help reduce fuel consumption, traffic congestion and environmental stress while ensuring uninterrupted economic activity through digital operations.
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NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja said the request was not aimed at creating confrontation with employers, but rather promoting collective national cooperation. “During the pandemic, employees and employers together proved that the Indian IT sector can function effectively under Work from Home arrangements,” the letter stated.
The body added that the same remote working capability could now be utilised again “in support of national priorities and public interest.”
