Why remote work is not prevalent in India ?

Try looking around in your personal network, and it will be likely that you can count the number of people working remotely using your fingers.

Why is that in India, remote work is nascent while it is growing in prominence around the world. Even google search trends suggest the same story.

Hmm .. I wonder why it is so

Here are my 5 cents why remote work is still not prevalent in India.

• Micromanagement still rules

There are trust issues between employees and management in our country which goes against the whole remote culture. Hence it is very difficult to find regional companies allowing people to work from home.

• Poor internet speeds

Since broadband penetration is very less, it’s difficult to be dependable especially when you need to be on skype or hangouts. Things have changed a little with the emergence of 4G networks, however there is still a long way to go.

• Skills not at par with the world

When you are working remotely, there is global arbitrage at play. You get to command better salaries while companies get to hire from a global pool of skilled people. Standing tall, in terms of quality, is the only way to survive in this market.

• Societal norms

In India, if you are working from home, people assume you are unemployed

. It’s weird but then this is steeped into our culture. This yardstick holds back many people from pursuing a remote job.

• Lack of soft skills

Being a remote worker is not easy. Apart from the competence you are hired for, proactiveness, self-discipline, written communication are the some of skills required to function productively in this environment. What do you do when no one is watching ?

Do let me know if you agree/disagree. Also if you have other arguments, then feel free to chime in.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Hope this post helps you on your remote working journey.