Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan, leading Indian IT and consulting firms have issued advisories urging employees to work from home and defer non-essential travel, according to a report by Moneycontrol.
Firms including Deloitte, EY, HCLTech, KPMG, and Tech Mahindra have responded with cautionary measures, particularly targeting employees based in the northern regions such as Delhi-NCR, which remains on high alert.
HCLTech declared May 9 a work-from-home day for employees across its Noida, Gurugram, and Chandigarh offices, according to the report.
Deloitte India has advised postponing all non-essential domestic and international travel and has activated an all-India command centre hotline to assist employees.
“Professionals who are on assignment in border states that are affected have been advised to return to base location as soon as possible… Colleagues have also been asked to follow government guidelines on personal safety and staying alert,” a source told Moneycontrol.
EY India followed suit, issuing a WFH advisory for its offices in Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad. For other locations, working from home was made optional.
According to the report, Tech Mahindra sent out a note on May 7, advising employees to remain calm and follow corporate services guidance. The advisory included a mock drill and recommended deferring all non-essential travel for two weeks. Employees were also cautioned against commenting on the situation on social media or during customer interactions.
KPMG India, meanwhile, allowed staff in Gurgaon, Delhi, Noida, and Jaipur to choose their work location—home, office, or client site—after consulting with their managers.
Infosys, which typically mandates employees to work from the office for at least 10 days a month, lets employees decide whether to work remotely in the current scenario. Additionally, it has instituted a policy of switching off office lights after 7 PM across locations, according to the report.