New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Indian IT majors, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Wipro, have suspended travel to the Middle East and issued urgent safety advisories for their staff amid expanding conflict in West Asia.
Industry body Nasscom has also stepped in, urging member companies to enable work-from-home (WFH) protocols for employees stationed in the affected areas.
The move comes as airspace across several Gulf countries remains closed following a sharp escalation in geopolitical developments.
In a statement, TCS, India’s largest software services exporter, said it has suspended all incoming and outgoing travel to and from the Middle East region, including transit.
“In light of the ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East, all our associates have been advised to stay indoors, avoid non-essential travel, and strictly follow guidance issued by local authorities,” TCS said.
The company has activated a “call tree” to prioritise contact with associates in impacted and bordering regions.
TCS’s HR and country leadership teams are monitoring the safety of employees and their families, while coordinating closely with local authorities and Indian Embassies to track developments.
“The safety and well-being of our associates and their families remain our highest priority,” the company said.
TCS has over 9,000 associates in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.
Wipro has also issued a no-travel advisory for approximately 10-11 affected countries, including the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
According to people in the know, the company has advised its employees in the region – numbering in the hundreds – to strictly follow local government guidelines regarding movement.
Wipro has a significant footprint in the Middle East, operating key regional hubs in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat (Oman), Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Al Seef (Bahrain), and several major cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—Riyadh, Al Khobar, and Jubail.
Industry body Nasscom said it is closely monitoring the situation and has advised member companies to defer all travel to the affected parts of the Middle East.
“As a precautionary measure, Nasscom has advised member companies to defer travel to affected areas. Member companies have also been advised to enable work-from-home arrangements for employees currently in the region,” Nasscom said in a statement, noting that employee safety remains the industry’s “foremost priority.” Nasscom noted that while operations across the IT industry are continuing “as usual” at this stage, companies remain vigilant and prepared to take additional measures if the situation warrants.
“We are in constant touch with the Nasscom Middle East Council and advise all employees in the region to remain in regular contact with their respective local embassies and take all necessary precautions as communicated by relevant authorities and employers,” it said.
The West Asia conflict has escalated sharply after coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran, that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei early Saturday, prompting widespread Iranian missile and drone retaliation that destabilised the whole region, and disrupted airspace and oil routes. The military strikes rattled global markets, and stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty nosedived over one per cent on Monday, with investors’ sentiment hit hard. PTI ANK MBI ANK MR
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