Andhra Pradesh planning 'work from home,' particularly for women: Naidu
What's the story
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that the state government is planning to promote the "Work From Home" concept, particularly for women.
The initiative comes as a part of the state's Information Technology (IT) and Global Capability Centers (GCC) Policy 4.0.
The announcement was made on February 12, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Work transformation
Naidu highlights pandemic's role in transforming work environments
Naidu emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed workplaces, with technology available to scale enabling remote work.
He said that ideas like remote work, coworking spaces (CWS), and neighborhood workspaces (NWS) can empower businesses and employees alike by establishing flexible and productive work environments.
"Such initiatives can help us strike a better work-life balance as well. We plan to harness these trends to drive meaningful change in AP," he said.
Policy incentives
IT & GCC Policy 4.0 to boost grassroots employment
Under the IT & GCC Policy 4.0, Andhra Pradesh plans to incentivize developers to create IT office spaces in every city, town, and mandal.
The policy is designed to help IT/GCC firms create grassroots employment opportunities.
Naidu said that these measures will boost workforce participation among women professionals by providing flexible remote and hybrid work options.
"We're offering incentives for developers to create IT office spaces in every city/town/mandal and supporting IT/GCC firms to generate employment at grassroots," he added.
Women empowerment
Naidu addresses concerns over educated women's employment
The chief minister also spoke about educated women sitting at home due to family responsibilities.
"Women are very efficient and talented but are confining themselves to their homes due to certain family issues and responsibilities," he said.
In a release, he asked officials to give proper training and jobs to educated women in rural and semi-urban areas.
The announcement comes just days after the CM directed that all departments must fully adopt the e-office system by the end of February.