Opinion: Creating remote-first world

The much-lauded flexibility of remote work is a privilege that’s not yet equally distributed

By Viiveck Verma

The Covid-19 pandemic was more than a health crisis; it was a global accelerator, forcing industries, institutions, and individuals to adapt in ways once considered unthinkable. Among its most profound and lasting impacts has been the normalisation of remote work. What began as a necessity to maintain business continuity has now evolved into a permanent shift in how we work and, by extension, how we inhabit and shape our cities.

In the Indian subcontinent, where urbanisation has long been defined by the relentless expansion of commercial hubs, this shift has triggered a ripple effect — one that is redrawing urban landscapes, redefining real estate priorities, and challenging long-held assumptions about the nature of work and city life.

Impact of Remote Work

The most visible impact of remote work in India has been on its office spaces. Across the country’s metropolitan hubs, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurgaon and Hyderabad, gleaming skyscrapers, once the symbols of corporate ambition, now face an uncertain future. Vacancy rates in commercial real estate have risen. According to a 2023 report by Knight Frank, the overall vacancy rate for office spaces in India reached over 19%, as many companies opted to downsize their physical footprint. This trend mirrors a global pattern, where large corporations from San Francisco to Tokyo have either embraced hybrid work or moved to fully remote setups.

Governments must think beyond traditional models of urban planning that prioritise centralised office districts and invest in digital infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas

For decades, urban centres have been grappling with overpopulation, traffic congestion and infrastructure stress, all of which were exacerbated by the daily migration of millions of office workers. The shift to remote work has, in some ways, offered a reprieve. Public transport systems are less crowded, pollution levels have eased slightly in certain cities, and commuting, once the bane of urban life, has receded for a significant portion of the workforce.

But this shift is not without its paradoxes. While remote work has brought a degree of relief to urban infrastructure, it has also destabilised the ecosystems that cities were built around. Central business districts (CBDs) in cities like Bengaluru’s Whitefield or Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex are seeing reduced footfall, which has a domino effect on the local economy.

Cafés, street vendors, small eateries, and other businesses that thrived on the daily influx of office workers are struggling to stay afloat. Urban planners and policymakers are now tasked with reimagining these spaces, turning mono-functional business districts into mixed-use environments that can attract residents and visitors beyond the traditional nine-to-five workday. This evolution is not limited to metros; smaller cities and towns in India are also experiencing an unexpected renaissance.

With remote work enabling location-independent jobs, many workers are leaving the chaos of big cities in favour of Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns like Coimbatore, Jaipur, and Lucknow, for their lower cost of living and a higher quality of life. The “reverse migration” of talent, once flowing unidirectionally towards urban metros, is now transforming smaller towns into dynamic hubs of opportunity.

Digital Divides

Globally, the trend of remote work reshaping urban landscapes is not unique to India, but the context here adds layers of complexity. India’s tech industry, which employs millions and contributes significantly to the GDP, was among the first to pivot to remote work. Companies like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro announced long-term hybrid models, signalling a structural change in how IT operates. But this move also exposes deep digital divides.

While the upper echelons of the workforce enjoy the flexibility of working from hill stations or their hometowns, millions in semi-urban and rural India face inadequate internet connectivity, unreliable electricity and a lack of ergonomic workspaces. The much-lauded flexibility of remote work is, therefore, a privilege not yet equally distributed.

On a broader scale, remote work is redefining how we think about home. The traditional separation of work and living spaces is dissolving, leading to a surge in demand for homes that accommodate remote work needs. In urban India, this has manifested as a preference for larger apartments with dedicated workspaces, better internet connectivity and proximity to green spaces. Co-living spaces, which cater to remote workers and digital nomads, are also gaining traction. Real estate developers are increasingly factoring these needs into their designs, signalling a paradigm shift in housing priorities.

Time and Autonomy

Critically, the rise of remote work is not just about space, it’s about time and autonomy. Workers now have the freedom to reclaim hours once lost to commuting, using that time for family, hobbies, or upskilling. But this freedom is tempered by new challenges. Work-from-home burnout is real, as the boundaries between personal and professional life blur.

The lack of face-to-face interactions has also led to concerns about team cohesion, creativity, and long-term professional growth. In India’s collectivist culture, where workplace camaraderie is often seen as an extension of social life, the shift to remote work risks creating a sense of isolation among employees.

From a policy perspective, the evolution of remote work calls for a reimagining of urban governance. Governments must now think beyond traditional models of urban planning that prioritise centralised office districts. Investments in digital infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas, are critical to ensuring that the benefits of remote work are accessible to all.

Simultaneously, cities must adapt to accommodate changing needs, transforming vacant office buildings into residential spaces, revitalising underutilised public areas and creating environments that promote community engagement in a remote-first world.

Remote work is neither a panacea nor a problem, it is a profound shift that requires thoughtful adaptation. It has the potential to decentralise opportunities, reduce urban pressures and empower individuals. But it also carries the risk of deepening inequalities and creating fragmented urban landscapes if left unaddressed. As India and the world navigate this new reality, the key lies in balance.

Remote work has shown us that the future of work is fluid, adaptable, and deeply interconnected with how we live and interact with our surroundings. The challenge now is to ensure that this future is inclusive, sustainable, and equitable, a future where work enhances not just productivity, but the quality of life for all.

(The author is founder and CEO, Upsurge Global, co-founder, Global Carbon Warriors and Adjunct Professor, EThames College)