The executive consensus on hybrid work has shifted considerably in 2025 — and not entirely in the direction that employees hoped. CXO India examines what changed and why.
The C-Suite Verdict: Presence Wins
Three years after the pandemic forced a large-scale experiment in remote and hybrid work, India's C-suite has reached a tentative consensus — and it leans toward in-person collaboration more strongly than many predicted. CXO India's year-end survey of 200 senior executives found that 67% believe their organisations function better with mandatory in-office attendance of at least three days per week, up from 48% who held the same view in 2023.
What Is Driving the Shift
The change in CEO and CHRO sentiment traces back to factors specific to the Indian corporate context:
- Talent development. India's corporate culture has historically relied heavily on informal mentorship and on-the-job learning through proximity. Senior executives observe that early-career professionals who joined during the fully remote period have developed more slowly than their predecessors — acquiring technical skills but lacking the judgement and contextual awareness that comes from watching experienced leaders navigate complex situations in real time.
- Collaboration quality. The most senior leaders surveyed consistently report that remote environments work well for individual execution but poorly for the creative, high-stakes, ambiguous conversations that drive strategy.
The Consensus Is Not Uniform
The picture is far from monolithic. Three variables shape where executives land:
- Function. Technology leaders are considerably more supportive of flexible work than their peers in operations, finance, or sales.
- Company stage. Growth-stage companies, where culture is still forming, tend toward more in-person norms than established organisations where culture is already embedded.
- Geography. Executives based outside Mumbai and Bengaluru are more supportive of flexibility, because commute infrastructure in many Indian cities makes daily office attendance genuinely burdensome.
