Zoho to bring back WFH? Sridhar Vembu responds to PM Modi's appeal

For many office workers, work from home (WFH) seemed like a phase that ended with the pandemic. But a recent appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be reopening that conversation, and one of India’s best-known tech leaders has already responded.

Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist at Zoho, said the company may reconsider its work-from-home policy after the Prime Minister urged citizens and businesses to adopt measures that could help reduce fuel use and ease pressure on the economy amid rising global tensions and higher energy costs.

ZOHO MAY RECONSIDER WORK FROM HOME

Responding to PM Modi’s appeal, Vembu wrote on X that he hopes people take the message seriously.

“I hope all of us heed the Prime Minister's appeal,” he wrote.

Vembu added that while Zoho had recently moved back to a full work-from-office model, the company is now open to revisiting remote work.

“As a company, we adopted Work From Office fully in recent months, but we will revisit Work From Home now,” he said.

His comments come at a time when conversations around fuel conservation and rising commuting costs are once again becoming part of public discussion.

PM MODI’S APPEAL TO CITIZENS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged Indians to follow a set of practical measures to conserve energy and reduce dependence on imports as global uncertainty continues.

Among the key suggestions was prioritising work from home wherever possible to reduce fuel consumption.

The Prime Minister also asked people to cut petrol and diesel use by relying more on public transport such as metros and buses.

Other appeals included avoiding gold purchases for one year, reducing the use of cooking oil, moving towards natural farming and cutting dependence on chemical fertilisers.

Citizens were also encouraged to support locally made products over foreign brands and avoid non-essential foreign travel for a year.

ZOHO’S FOCUS ON FUEL REDUCTION

Vembu said Zoho is already taking steps in line with some of these ideas.

He said that the company has adopted natural farming practices on its farms and is actively exploring ways to reduce diesel consumption.

“We have adopted natural farming in our farm and we are also actively looking for ways to cut diesel use,” he wrote.

His response has drawn attention online because it signals that at least some companies may be willing to rethink workplace arrangements if fuel concerns deepen.

COULD WFH DISCUSSIONS RETURN?

While there is no sign of a broad shift back to pandemic-style remote work, rising fuel prices and concerns over energy supply could push more organisations to rethink commuting-heavy office routines.

For employees spending long hours and large amounts on daily travel, flexible work arrangements may once again become part of the conversation.

Whether more companies follow Zoho’s lead remains to be seen, but one thing is clear, i.e., a debate many thought had ended may be quietly making a comeback.