Last Updated:
The Andhra Pradesh chief minister said the biggest beneficiary of such a transition in work culture will be women, especially those who are educated but cannot go out and work due to multiple constraints
At the centre of Naidu’s pitch at the World Economic Forum in Davos is the contention that WFH has huge potential to create employment and provide opportunities. (X @ncbn)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, while focusing on building new links and attracting investment for his state, is not just looking at the sectors that can impact industries, but has ideas that can actually benefit the commoner.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, work from home (WFH) has become an acceptable trend across the country, with some organisations still pursuing a hybrid model, which essentially means working from a site for a few days and then working from the comfort of home.
At the centre of Naidu’s pitch at the World Economic Forum in Davos is the contention that WFH has huge potential to create employment and provide opportunities, along with a decent salary.
The pitch will have resonance back home as Naidu has said that the biggest beneficiary of such an impactful transition in work culture will be women, especially those who are educated but cannot go out and work due to multiple constraints. Such women are often reduced to just being homemakers.
The Andhra chief minister, who is known to be a visionary, was responsible for the IT revolution in the state a few decades ago.
In Davos, Naidu would want to reach out to global aggregators to come to his state with a vision of providing a skilled workforce and neighbourhood working solutions.
“This will help mainstream those left out or under-paid and bring practical job-oriented upskilling to your doorstep,” an Andhra Pradesh government source told News18.
It would essentially be a win-win situation for both sides. For big companies searching for skilled workforce, preference for WFH or a hybrid model would help save overhead expenses. Apart from this, cheap labour and data in India in comparison to the West would also benefit companies.
For the workers, meanwhile, working from a location close to home would not only help save overhead expenses, but preferably keep them closer to their culture with the constantly evolving infrastructure in Tier 2 and Tier-3 cities.
“Despite having the requisite skill set and the ability to upskill themselves, there are certain hindrances which prevent women from working. Women who are skilled but can’t afford to travel and work in some other city due to their family situation will get an in-situ opportunity. That is the reason the government is putting so much stress on this,” the official added.
A few weeks ago, while speaking in Andhra Pradesh, the chief minister had made a mention of women in workforce as a prime agenda for his government. Naidu had then said that it was alarming to see so many women who are talented and educated but are not able to use their skills because of family issues. He noted that they can be a very effective workforce if given co-working space or an option to work from home. The AP government is committed to making co-working spaces in different parts of the state, both in government as well as private sectors, by December 2025.
Even while he was addressing the Telugu diaspora in an event during his ongoing visit to the forum, Naidu called upon the community to support his initiative of making his state the “Work From Home capital” of the world.
“Women are extremely talented and are very sincere. They have certain chores to finish at home, but for the remaining period, they can utilise the time if given an opportunity to work from home or a nearby coworking space. The minimum that they can earn is Rs 40,000 per month and this amount can also go up further, depending on each skill set. I hope all of you will support this initiative for women empowerment,” Naidu said in Zurich.
Skilling and up-skilling is also one focus area for the Andhra Pradesh government. At a time when political leaders across the platform are interested in doing a caste census, Naidu has said that the need of the hour for a young country like India is to do “skill census”.
Naidu’s visit to the WEF comes at a significant time. So far, he has held meetings with world leaders in their respective fields, seeking engagements and investments in Andhra Pradesh. Three decades after his meeting with Bill Gates in 1995 where the two discussed the importance of information technology, the duo reconnected and spoke about the rising potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“In Davos today, I announced the upcoming CII Centre for Global Leadership on Competitiveness in Amaravati with the @TataCompanies. The GLC will collaborate with leading global and Indian institutions to provide transformative education, advanced skill development, and capacity building. Focused on boosting industrial competitiveness through training and advisory services, the GLC shall aim to attract investments, create jobs, and drive Andhra Pradesh’s economic growth, contributing to India’s Vision 2047. @FollowCII #InvestInAP #WEF2025,” the CM wrote on X.
