New Delhi: Good news for the IT industry in India! The IT companies in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) can now allow employees to avail of the Work from Home' option until December 31, 2024. The Center has now amended the Special Economic Zones rules of 2006 to extend the option by a year. The period earlier granted to these companies was slated to end on December 31.
Traditionally, the government does not allow the ‘Work from Home’ option for companies inside the SEZs to prevent misuse of special concessions. However, it was forced to provide the option to SEZs as well during the Covid-induced lockdown.
As per the new rules, companies can shift to the ‘Work from Home’ option anytime and may allow the same to all of their workforce. The new norm is slated to benefit several IT companies that operate in Kerala. For instance, as much as 165.12 acres out of the total 374.45 acres inside the Technopark campus in Thiruvananthapuram have been notified as SEZ. In Technocity alone, which marks the fourth phase of the Technopark, 127.1 acres of land have been notified as SEZs.