U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday (May 23, 2026) a deal with Iran had been “largely negotiated,” with the proposal including opening the crucial Strait of Hormuz, though the agreement was “subject to finalisation.” “An Agreement has been largely negotiated
A person who approached a White House security checkpoint and began firing at officers has died, according to federal officials. The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement late on Saturday (May 23, 2026) that, according to a preliminary investigation
After spending 35 years at , consumer chief marketing officer is preparing to leave the company following the end of its next fiscal year, according to an internal memo as reported by Business Insider.Mehdi told employees he would remain at Microsoft until June 2027 to support the company
Pakistani woman says corporate culture makes employees feel guilty for taking leave: ‘Rest needs justification’A Pakistani woman said corporate jobs made employees feel guilty for taking paid leaves they were allowed to use. Published on: May 24
This crunchy veggie rice paper pancake is the perfect quick-fix snack for sudden hunger cravings at home: Full recipeFrom crispy edges to flavour-packed bites, try this veggie rice paper pancake recipe for an ultimate comfort snack for lazy evenings. Updated on: May 24
Amazon techie earning ₹11 lakh/month has 1 house in US, 4 properties in India, Range Rover — but no emergency fundAn Amazon employee earning close to $300,000 feels financially insecure despite significant savings and investments. Published on: May 24
Rare lung transplant at Apollo saves a life; spotlight on India's organ donor shortageRare lung transplant at Apollo saves a life; spotlight on India's organ donor shortage Published on: May 24, 2026 10:33 AM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi, A year ago, every breath felt borrowed
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.These countertop organisers, crockery pick and jars can give your kitchen a Pinteresty spin by keeping the clutter awayTurn your kitchen into a photo-ready space with stylish organisers
The hidden cost borne by Indians working for global tech giants
IT workers in India keep a lot of the world’s technology ticking over. They may be operating your company’s helpdesk, or responding to a query about your latest gadget.
They may also be working from home. And in India’s IT hubs, like Bangalore, Chennai or Hyderabad, this is likely to be from a cramped apartment filled with backup battery systems the workers have paid for themselves.
For despite often working for some of the biggest companies in the world, research I carried out with colleagues shows that working conditions for many of India’s IT workers are far from pleasant.
Ever since COVID, the pros and cons of remote working have been tested across the world. In some places, for some people, a switch to hybrid or fully remote working represents a degree of freedom and self-determination.
But not everywhere. So what does working from home actually look like for the 5 million Indian IT professionals who keep the digital infrastructure of big western companies running?
One of the biggest challenges is space. In India, more than half of the population live with members of their extended family. Many of the 51 workers we interviewed share their homes with children, parents, grandparents and in-laws – all squeezed into small apartments which now double up as offices.
For them, remote working means organising large family groups in small spaces so that one person can have a quiet corner in which to work.
A professional background for a video call required careful choreography in a crowded household with two rooms where babies might be crying next to elderly relatives with medical complaints.
For the workers we spoke to who had care responsibilities for various family members, the juggling required was extraordinary. We were told of profound knock-on effects for family life, with chaotic mealtimes and evenings hijacked by calls.
But perhaps the biggest challenge we learned about was to do with basic infrastructure. Power cuts are routine in many Indian cities. Internet bandwidth, shared among other family members working or studying from home, is often unreliable.
We met many IT professionals, doing identical work to their counterparts in London or San Francisco, who had spent their own money on domestic backup power systems so they could stay online.
During home visits, we saw battery units occupying valuable domestic space on balconies, in hallways and porches – equipment these homes were never designed to hold. A proper unit – the kind needed to run a laptop, router, and fan through India’s routine power cuts – costs up to £400, roughly equivalent to a month’s take-home pay for a junior IT worker.
Meanwhile, internet bandwidth had to be carefully rationed. Television schedules were reorganised around work calls. Most meetings defaulted to audio-only, with video reserved for special occasions.
Along with power supplies and other equipment, some said workplace surveillance had also moved into their homes. One 33-year-old male IT worker said his employer’s online system would “calculate how many hours you work, and which other websites you visit”. He added that lapses would “automatically trigger a [message to my] manager”.
The surveillance extended into absurd territory. When power cuts struck – a routine occurrence – some workers were expected to prove it. A 28-year-old male engineer told us: “The boss said ‘go out and take photos of your house and send it’. He needed proof.”
These frustrations are not going unheard. In 2025, hundreds of IT workers took to the streets in Bangalore carrying placards which read “We are not your slaves” and demanding a legal right to disconnect and the enforcement of limits on working hours.
When the state government proposed extending the maximum working day from ten to 12 hours, workers protested again. So far, India’s IT sector remains exempt from key labour protections, and no right to disconnect has been brought into law.
A key part of their protest was to do with workplace inequality – which had simply been relocated from the office into the home.
Organisations saved on office space, utilities and equipment. Those costs didn’t disappear – they were transferred to workers and their families.
In some countries that might mean buying a desk. To many of the Indian IT professionals we spoke to, who keep the digital infrastructure of big western companies running, it meant investing in domestic power backup systems, rationing internet bandwidth, rearranging entire households, and absorbing the emotional toll of work without boundaries – all while managing infrastructure failures.
A software developer in Bangalore with identical skills to one in Boston faces entirely different remote work realities. If remote work is to deliver on its promise, organisations and policymakers must recognise that “working from home” means fundamentally different things depending on where that home is – and who bears the hidden costs of making it work.
Vivek Soundararajan is Professor of Work and Equality, University of Bath.
This article was first published on The Conversation.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: The clock is ticking on India’s AI future Clock’s ticking for digital lenders as VC funding plunges 50% in 2025 Ageing populations a 'ticking time bomb' for GDP growth Money, Housing, And A Ticking Clock Clock Is Ticking Trump warns 'clock is ticking' for Iran as peace progress stalls The workers who keep India’s cities running have a simple message – pay us living wages South Korea charges 10 over alleged chip technology leak to China's CXMT Fans Feel Betrayed As PAK Keep Backing Keep Backing Underperforming Seniors India is upcoming superpower with a lot of talent
Indian athletics witnessed a historic evening in Ranchi as Tejaswin Shankar became the first Indian ever to breach the 8000-point barrier in decathlon at the Federation Cup on Saturday. The 27-year-old produced a sensational all-round performance to finish with 8057 points
8 hours ago
The Centre released draft rules for the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 for public consultation. The rules focus on governance, grievance redressal, and transitioning from MGNREGA to the new rural employment scheme
8 hours ago
The National Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has warned of a sophisticated phishing campaign impersonating Apple tech support to target whose devices have been lost or stolen, officials said on Saturday.The I4C, which functions under the Union Home Ministry
8 hours ago
Sachin Tendulkar praised his son Arjun's IPL debut for Lucknow Super Giants. Arjun Tendulkar showed patience and skill in his first match. He bowled well and took a wicket. Sachin Tendulkar expressed pride in his son's performance and attitude
8 hours ago
White House shooting suspect claimed to be ‘real’ Osama bin Laden, threatened Trump online: ReportOsama bin Laden was the founder and leader of the terror group Al-Qaeda, which was reportedly responsible the 9/11 attacks. Updated on: May 24, 2026 11:02 AM IST By Anita Goswami Share via Copy
8 hours ago
May 24, Birthday Horoscope: Here's what the tarot cards have in store for youIf your birthday falls on May 24, here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Published on: May 24, 2026 11:00 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link If you were born on May 24
8 hours ago
George Russell may have delivered the perfect answer to mounting pressure at Mercedes. After a fiery sprint race clash with championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli earlier on Saturday, the Briton bounced back in style to grab pole position for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix — edging the
8 hours ago
BJP candidate Debangshu Panda is leading significantly in the Falta assembly constituency repoll. After five rounds of counting, Panda has secured a lead of over 14,000 votes against his CPI(M) rival. The repoll followed allegations of EVM tampering and irregularities during the initial polling
8 hours ago
The suspect in a shooting near the White House was killed in an exchange of fire with Secret Service agents on Saturday evening, officials have confirmed. BBC's US media partner CBS has named the suspect as Nasire Best, a 21-year-old man who was known to the Secret Service and had a documented
8 hours ago
CPI(M) MP raises concerns over CBSE's digital evaluation, seeks interventionCPI(M) MP raises concerns over CBSE's digital evaluation, seeks intervention Published on: May 23, 2026 5:22 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi, The Rajya Sabha leader of the CPI, John Brittas
8 hours ago
Imagine enjoying a decadent, fudge‑like treat that also supports your hormones, libido, and menstrual rhythm, all while being packed with collagen, magnesium, adaptogens, and lignan‑rich omega‑3s. These Seed Cycling Hormone Bliss Balls are designed around the simple yet powerful practice of
8 hours ago
Weekly Love Horoscope for May 24-30, 2026: The stars brings positive energies for these zodiac signsWeekly Love Horoscope for May 24-30, 2026: This week asks for patience, trust, and emotional resilience. Published on: May 24, 2026 7:30 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link Aries Love feels
11 hours ago
Perhaps the fullest realisation of what Mohamed Salah has achieved at Liverpool will only come with time. But as he prepares to say his goodbyes on Sunday, there is plenty to appreciate and admire in the here and now. There are the standards Salah helped to set that emanated through the club in his
11 hours ago
From a darkly comic tale of revenge to a beautiful contemplation on friendship, here are the year's most acclaimed works of fiction so far. "Daring, deranged, cleverly written," is how Vogue describes the buzzy debut by Caro Claire Burke. In this satirical thriller
11 hours ago
Jaipur real estate: Ashiana Housing has launched the first phase of its 10.35-acre residential project ‘Ashiana Oma’ in Ajmer Road at Mansarovar Extension Ashiana Housing will invest nearly ₹560 crore to develop a residential project in Jaipur
11 hours ago
Overnight fires in Delhi: Shops, homes gutted in four blazesA fire department officer was injured after the tin shed of one of the shops he was standing on during the firefighting operation collapsed. Updated on: May 24, 2026 7:37 AM IST By Karn Pratap Singh Share via Copy link Four separate fire
11 hours ago
As per the government, the new rules enable families living in Delhi to submit applications if their annual household income is within the newly prescribed limit. New Delhi: The Delhi government has reopened the process of issuing fresh ration cards under changed eligibility criteria after a gap of
11 hours ago
The reported disruption of AI-animated film Critterz after OpenAI allegedly shut down Sora has sparked a larger conversation around one major issue in tech and entertainment: what happens when creators build entire projects on platforms they do not control?The reported disruption of AI-animated
11 hours ago
Ex-Meta employee says non-Chinese workers were targeted for layoffsA laid-off Meta engineer has alleged that he was routinely excluded and ostracised by his Chinese colleagues at the company. Updated on: May 24, 2026 7:01 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link A laid-off Meta engineer has alleged
11 hours ago
Mackenzie Shirilla wanted Kim Kardashian's help; here's why it's not happeningMackenzie Shirilla sought Kim Kardashian's legal support following the release of The Crash documentary, but Kardashian reportedly has no plans to get involved. May 24, 2026
11 hours ago
The first scientific survey of fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has recorded 57 individuals, confirming that the species is widely distributed and actively reproducing across the reserve’s floodplains
11 hours ago
X warns founder against reuploading White House shooting video: 'Revenue reduced by 90%'Nikita Bier of X warned a user against reuploading the White House shooting video, asking him to ‘Quote’ or ‘Video Reshare’ instead. Updated on: May 24, 2026 6:14 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link
11 hours ago
Sonam Wangchuk says Article 371 talks for Ladakh still ‘work in progress’; backs Cockroach Janta PartySonam Wangchuk hoped constitutional safeguards will be granted to Ladakh after recent talks between Ladakh groups and the Centre. Updated on: May 24
11 hours ago
Talking about international partnerships, PM Modi said India’s growing ties with global companies and countries would create new opportunities for young people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited candidates during the 19th Rozgar Mela
11 hours ago
The Archaeological Survey of India’s circular in December on tourist guides at Red Fort has opened a larger debate: who gets to interpret the past? The circular states that only guides licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and endorsed by the Archaeological Survey of India may offer services inside
11 hours ago
Dipika Kakar’s father-in-law in ICU after suffering stroke, Shoaib Ibrahim seeks prayers: ‘24 hrs are crucial’Shoaib Ibrahim took to Instagram to inform fans that his father has been hospitalised once again after suffering another stroke. May 24, 2026
11 hours ago
Oleksandr Usyk struck lucky to retain his world heavyweight titles in Egypt with a highly controversial 11th-round stoppage win against boxing novice Rico Verhoeven. Verhoeven, in just his second professional boxing fight, was the clear aggressor for long spells
11 hours ago
