Pune: NITES Seeks Mandatory Work from Home Advisory for IT Sector Citing Fuel Conservation, Cites PM Modi’s Appeal
Pune, 11th May 2025: The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) has written to the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment seeking an advisory mandating Work From Home (WFH) for the IT and IT-enabled services sector wherever operationally feasible, citing fuel conservation, traffic reduction and larger national interest.
In a letter addressed to Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, NITES president Harpreet Singh Saluja said the request was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal urging citizens and establishments to adopt measures such as work from home, virtual meetings and reduction of unnecessary travel to conserve fuel.
The employee body stated that the IT/ITES sector had already demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic that large-scale remote working could be implemented effectively without affecting productivity or business continuity.
“The Indian IT sector transitioned to Work From Home within a very short period during the pandemic. Major technology companies, multinational corporations, software development teams, customer operations and digital delivery units continued functioning efficiently from remote locations for several years,” the letter stated.
NITES argued that compelling lakhs of employees to undertake long daily commutes despite the availability of proven digital alternatives places avoidable pressure on fuel consumption, public transport systems, urban infrastructure and road networks.
The organisation also said long travel hours adversely affect employee well-being while contributing to environmental burden and unnecessary fuel usage at a time when the country is discussing conservation and efficiency measures.
In the representation, NITES urged the ministry to issue an advisory directing IT/ITES companies and digitally deliverable service sectors to implement mandatory work from home “wherever operationally feasible” for an appropriate period.
According to the employee body, such a move would help reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and pollution while ensuring uninterrupted economic activity through digital means.
The organisation further stated that the proposal should not be viewed merely as an employee preference or corporate flexibility measure, but as a responsible economic and national-support initiative aligned with the Prime Minister’s appeal.
“The IT/ITES sector carries a larger responsibility towards the country. If any sector can immediately support national conservation efforts without affecting productivity, it is the IT/ITES sector,” the representation said.
NITES said the recommendation was being made in the larger national interest and emphasised that the objective was “collective national cooperation” rather than confrontation with employers.
