The Government is expected to spend Rs 270 crore on a scheme that will create about 50,000 opportunities by 2022, especially for women and the differently abled, to work from home. These opportunities will be offered in the information technology (IT) sector, and financial incentives will be offered to both the employees as well as the employers involved.
It is reported that the initiative will not only increase job opportunities in the IT sector, but will also expand the talent pool. It is aimed at tapping the vast pool of women talent that is yet to be actively incorporated into the workforce. Most women in the country are unable to take up full-time jobs due to family and domestic commitments. The policy will give them a chance to be economically independent without compromising their family duties. Similarly, the policy will go a long way in ensuring financial independence to the differently abled, most of whom are unable to leave their houses due to mobility issues.
To implement the policy, changes may have to be made in the labour laws, in terms of certain relaxations. Just as the Startup India programme allows certain exemptions to start-ups, the work-from-home policy will also have to look at certain exemptions.
The policy may be introduced as part of the Information Technology Ministry’s India BPO Promotion Scheme that allows incentives to organisations, to establish themselves and operate in the tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India. The budget allotted to each state will depend on the population of each state.
