NITES urges Centre to mandate WFH in IT sector for fuel conservation
Synopsis
NITES has written to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging a WFH advisory for IT and ITeS firms, citing fuel conservation, reduced urban congestion, and India's proven pandemic-era remote-work record as reasons the sector can and should step up again.
Key Takeaways
NITES wrote to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on 11 May seeking a WFH advisory for IT and ITeS companies.
The body cited PM Modi's appeal for reduced travel and virtual meetings as the trigger for the demand.
NITES President Harpreet Singh Saluja argued the sector proved WFH viability during the Covid-19 pandemic without productivity loss.
Daily commutes by lakhs of IT employees are adding unnecessary pressure on fuel consumption, traffic, and public transport, the body argued.
Companies had already invested heavily in remote infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud operations , and digital collaboration tools during the pandemic.
The Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) on Monday, 11 May urged the Centre to issue an advisory directing IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) companies to implement work from home (WFH) wherever operationally feasible, citing fuel conservation and reduced urban congestion as key national priorities amid rising global uncertainties.
The Appeal to the Centre
In a formal letter addressed to Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, NITES argued that remote working should be institutionalised as part of a broader national effort to conserve fuel and ease pressure on urban infrastructure. The employee body invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier appeal to citizens and organisations to adopt measures such as work from home, virtual meetings, and reduced travel, framing compliance as a collective national responsibility in the context of current geopolitical developments.
Pandemic Precedent Cited as Proof of Feasibility
Harpreet Singh Saluja, President of NITES, pointed to the Covid-19 pandemic as conclusive evidence that large-scale remote working is viable in the sector.
Point of View
Citing collaboration and culture; a government advisory, even a non-binding one, would give workers leverage in that tug-of-war. The fuel conservation framing is strategically smart: it anchors a labour demand to a national-interest argument that is hard to publicly oppose. The real question is whether the Centre will act, or whether this becomes another well-intentioned letter that gets filed away.
NationPress
11 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has NITES demanded from the Centre regarding WFH?
NITES has urged the Centre to issue an advisory asking IT and ITeS companies to implement work from home wherever operationally feasible. The demand, made in a letter to Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on 11 May, is framed around fuel conservation and reducing pressure on urban infrastructure.
Why is NITES linking WFH to fuel conservation?
The employee body is referencing PM Modi's appeal to citizens and organisations to adopt reduced travel and virtual meetings amid current geopolitical uncertainties. NITES argues that requiring lakhs of IT employees to commute daily, when digital alternatives exist, adds unnecessary strain on fuel consumption and public transport.
Did WFH work for the IT sector during the Covid-19 pandemic?
According to NITES, the Indian IT sector operated at scale under remote working conditions throughout the Covid-19 pandemic without disruption to productivity or business continuity. The body says companies served global clients, met productivity targets, and maintained international operations entirely remotely for several years.
Who is Harpreet Singh Saluja?
Harpreet Singh Saluja is the President of the Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), the employee body that has written to the Union Labour Ministry seeking a WFH advisory for the IT and ITeS sector.
What infrastructure does the IT sector already have for remote work?
According to NITES, IT companies invested heavily during the pandemic in remote infrastructure, cybersecurity systems, cloud operations, digital collaboration tools, and virtual management systems — making a return to WFH operationally straightforward.
