After Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for bringing back Covid-era efficiency practices like virtual conferences and work from home to conserve fuel in the wake of the economic fallout of the US-Iran
war, the corporate sector buzzed with discussions on whether the offices would be asked to move back to a work-from-home model to cut down energy costs.
Clarifying the remarks, the government sources told CNBC-TV18 that currently, there is no plan to issue any advisory or directive related to work-from-home for the IT industry.
According to CNBC-TV18, the sources said that the prime minister had only made an appeal and that no mandatory restrictions regarding work-from-home are under consideration at the current stage.
As per the sources, the IT industry is already working in remote and hybrid formats on the basis of their operational requirements, which has reduced the need for any kind of formal government intervention.
The sources further said that the government is not planning any restriction on electronics imports, even after the Centre’s push for austerity and import discipline.
Officials maintained that electronics imports remain closely tied to economic activity, particularly in areas such as domestic manufacturing, exports and the expansion of digital infrastructure.
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Sources in the government also noted that a rise in global memory chip prices could push up the overall import bill for electronics in the coming months. At the same time, they stressed that AI servers continue to play a key role in supporting India’s rapidly growing data centre ecosystem and broader digital expansion plans.
As per official data referenced by sources, India’s electronics imports reached $116.17 billion in FY26.
What Did PM Modi Say About Work-From-Home?
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an extraordinary appeal to Indian citizens, appealed to people to bring back the Covid-era efficiency practices like working from home and online schools in the wake of the economic crisis looming because of the ongoing US-Iran war.
“During the Corona period, we adopted work from home, online meetings, video conferences, and developed many such systems. We had also become accustomed to them,” PM Modi said.
Also Read:‘Covid-Era Measures’: After PM’s Appeal, Is Work From Home Set To Return To India’s Workplaces?
“Today, the demands of the times are such that if we restart these systems, it will be in the national interest. We must prioritise work from home, online conferences, and virtual meetings again. We must also place a strong emphasis on saving foreign exchange, as petrol and diesel have become so expensive globally,” the prime minister added.
PM Modi further called for temporary online classes for school students. “I would also urge certain schools to prioritise the arrangement of online classes for the time being,” said the prime minister.
While remote working was already prevalent in sectors such as IT and consulting, it became mainstream during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when the government imposed travel restrictions and promoted social distancing amid a surge in coronavirus infections.
