

NEW DELHI: India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), said on Tuesday that it has taken steps, including work from home and restricted foreign travels, in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for austerity and the need to mitigate the long-term impact of the West Asia war.
In a post on social media platform X, MSIL said that it is a timely opportunity to revisit and re-examine all their processes and make efforts to improve efficiency across all business operations, whether it is for national objectives or their own health of business. Accordingly management has given a message to all people to institutionalise several steps as part of the drive, added the company.
These include implementation of work from home (WFH) wherever operationally feasible to reduce commute related fuel consumption. "This is aligned with the company's remote working policy," it said.
To optimise travel, the company has issued a directive which said that "foreign travel to be avoided unless critical for business requirements". It also asked employees to choose virtual meetings as preferred mode for engagements, while minimising domestic travel.
The company has also asked its employees to adopt sustainable commute practices, encouraging them to adopt car pooling and use public transport wherever practical. The carmaker also asked its employees to prioritise energy conservation and optimise the use of use of energy such as AC, fans, lights across office and home.
Earlier this month, PM Modi called on citizens to adopt austerity measures, urging them to cut back on gold purchases, foreign travel and petroleum consumption. The call came in the backdrop of West Asia crisis which has led to a sharp surge in global energy prices. The events have also triggered decline in rupee value and foreign exchange reserves.