Bengaluru’s IT Giants Shift to Remote Work Amid Heavy Rains

India’s tech capital, Bengaluru, has been hit by severe pre-monsoon rains, prompting a swift shift to remote work across the city’s top tech firms. On May 20, 2025, companies including Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) instructed employees to work from home, following an orange alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The advisory warned of intense rainfall that led to waterlogging, blocked flyovers, submerged roads, and hours-long traffic jams across key IT corridors such as Electronic City, Whitefield, and Outer Ring Road.

In a city notorious for infrastructure bottlenecks, the deluge not only disrupted daily commutes but raised broader questions about the viability of consistent in-office mandates during seasonal weather extremes.

Tech sector’s agility on display

Bengaluru’s IT sector responded quickly and decisively. Having built robust remote systems during the pandemic, most firms were able to seamlessly revert to work-from-home protocols. Employees across departments—from development to operations—switched to virtual collaboration platforms, ensuring business continuity with minimal disruption.

This response highlights the continued relevance of hybrid and remote infrastructures, especially in cities where climate-related disruptions are becoming more frequent. Companies noted that beyond safety, remote flexibility also preserved productivity during the unexpected weather emergency.

Rethinking urban planning through a remote lens

The incident has reignited conversations around the need for improved urban resilience and smarter workplace strategies. Experts argue that cities like Bengaluru, which house thousands of tech professionals, must adopt infrastructure planning that factors in both climate unpredictability and digital workforce adaptability.

For now, IT companies have once again demonstrated that remote readiness isn’t just about flexibility—it’s fast becoming a critical tool for resilience in a volatile world.