Work from Home centres in THIS Indian state soon, employees to get multiple facilities, each hub will accommodate over…

New Delhi: The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government is set to begin ‘Work Near Home’ (WNH) centres across the state. The main idea behind starting these centres is to help IT professionals, startups and freelancers log in to modern facilities closer to their homes. According to the reports, the first such centre is nearing completion Kottarakkara and will launch operations soon. The Kottarakkara centre, established in a BSNL-owned building near the Ganapathy temple, is being built for around Rs 5 crore.

It is believed that the initiative will allow techies and professionals in knowledge-based sectors to work from modern, well-equipped centres in small towns and rural areas. “The Kottarakkara centre can accommodate around 180 professionals. The response has been very encouraging,” said Finance Minister K N Balagopal to The New India(BHARAT)n Express. “The government has earmarked Rs 50 crore to establish similar centres in every district. Private players coming forward with similar initiatives will be lent full support,” he said.

Here are some of the key details:

• The government leased the two-storey building
• The building features state-of-the-art amenities, including conference and meeting rooms, a cafeteria, private and shared office spaces
• It also has Wi-Fi connectivity, CCTV surveillance, parking, toilets and drinking water.
• All rooms are fully air-conditioned and powered by solar energy.

Senior officials said that similar projects will soon be launched in Kalamassery (Ernakulam) and Ramanattukara (Kozhikode).

“The aim is to set up such facilities in small towns and villages so that people can access affordable, high-quality workspaces near their homes and help spread the growth of the IT sector beyond major cities,” said an official to TNIE.

Freelancers and startup founders have welcomed the project, calling it a major boost for professionals in non-urban areas. “Having access to a shared workspace would help me attend online meetings in a professional setup. If such centres come up across districts, it will be a great help for freelancers,” said Simon Antony, a freelancer from Kaduthuruthy.