Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has proposed a two-day weekly work-from-home model for employees in large industrial units, IT companies, and startups, as part of a wider austerity and fuel-saving push by the state government.
According to an official statement issued after a high-level review meeting in Lucknow with the Chief Secretary, DGP, and senior bureaucrats, the Chief Minister directed officials to encourage industries and startups to adopt remote work systems. The state government may also issue a formal advisory recommending work-from-home for two days a week in workplaces with large employee strength.
“The Chief Minister also appealed for prioritising the work-from-home culture in the State. He laid special emphasis on the use of PNG, Metro services, public transport and buses operated by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation,” the official statement read. It added, “In workplaces with a large workforce, a State-level advisory should be issued recommending work-from-home for two days a week.”
The directives extended beyond workplace flexibility. Adityanath ordered a 50% reduction in official vehicle fleets used by ministers and bureaucrats, asked elected representatives to use public transport at least once a week, and proposed a weekly “No Vehicle Day” campaign. He also directed that at least 50% of internal meetings at the State Secretariat and directorates be conducted virtually. The government is exploring staggered office timings to spread out peak-hour congestion and reduce fuel use.
The Industrial Development Department and the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation have been asked to formally engage with industries and startups to encourage adoption of the remote work model. The state has not yet specified the timeline within which the formal WFH advisory will be issued.
The proposal follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal for reduced fuel consumption and economic restraint amid rising global oil prices linked to the West Asia conflict. Uttar Pradesh is among the first states to translate the appeal into concrete policy direction for the private sector, moving hybrid work into the domain of public policy rather than leaving it solely to corporate discretion.
