A hybrid model, a combination of virtual and physical environments, would come to define the future of how India works, thereby giving rise to the emergence of distributed workspaces that will cut across physical headquarters, satellite offices and homes pan-India, according to a study.

Thus, flexible office space could be a trend in the future, the study by co-working space operator Awfis said.

The co-working sector is poised to become 20% of the total commercial real estate (CRE) market in the next 2-3 years, as compared to the current 5%. Awfis launched the Awfis Remote Working Report to offer a glimpse into the changing needs and preferences of the urban Indian workforce concerning their place of work post the onset of COVID-19 and nationwide lockdown.

As per the study, conducted across seven cities covering over 1,000 respondents said, 74% of the respondents said they were willing to work remotely, and 80% pointed out that their job roles can be performed from a remote environment. Also, the money saved on commuting too was a motivating factor for working remotely, with 29% saying they saved ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 by working from home and 60% said they save over an hour by not having to commute.

Therefore, the positive sentiment to work from remote locations can be attributed to factors like significant cost savings, considerable time savings, better time management, and self-discipline, the survey further said.

Amit Ramani, CEO and founder, Awfis, said, “The current situation has given way to a new style of working – Work from Anywhere. Organisations and individuals are gradually adjusting to this new normal.”