After PM Modi’s WFH appeal, Sridhar Vembu says Zoho ‘will revisit work from home now’

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to revive working from home amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Zoho founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Sridhar Vembu said the company will rethink remote working.

The Prime Minister on Sunday also recommended limiting petrol and diesel consumption and encouraged people to use public transport such as the metro. Reacting to the call, Vembu said that the company has adopted natural farming on its farm and is actively exploring ways to reduce diesel use.

In a post on

How will Zoho support small sellers during work-from-home periods?

Zoho has offices in Chennai and Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu, as well as Noida, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai and Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, an

Answering the question, Vembu said: “We always support our canteen staff and drivers during periods of working from home. In the past, we used our kitchens in our offices to distribute free meals to those in need. We will do the same this time.”

Why did PM Modi urge Indians to work from home again?

Addressing a BJP rally in Hyderabad on Sunday, Modi urged Indians to take cost-cutting measures, including avoiding gold purchases, postponing foreign travel and working from home, as the country faces the economic impact of the ongoing Iran-US conflict and rising crude oil prices.

He said India must preserve its foreign exchange reserves and reduce fuel consumption at a time when global supply chains remain under pressure due to protracted conflicts in West Asia.

The war also caused disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, for several weeks, raising fears of long-term supply shortages.

Modi’s remarks came after Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest peace overtures, pushing global crude oil prices above $105 per barrel and intensifying concerns about inflation and energy security around the world. While Iran refused to dismantle its nuclear facilities, an important demand of the USA, it offered to transfer some of its enriched uranium stock to another country.

Modi said India should revive the habits adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic to reduce fuel consumption and save foreign exchange.

Modi had said, “During Corona, we have developed methods such as working from home, virtual meetings, video conferencing and many more. We have gotten used to these. The need of the hour is to continue these methods.”