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Global Remote Work Index

  • 19 Oct 2023

India, once considered a favorable location for remote work, is now facing challenges in this domain, according to recent research by cybersecurity company NordLayer.

  • The Global Remote Work Index (GRWI) ranks India at 64, marking a significant drop of 15 places from the previous year.

Key Points

  • Index Evaluation: The GRWI evaluates countries based on several criteria, including cyber safety, economic safety, digital and physical infrastructure, and social safety.
  • Top 10 Countries for Remote Work: The top 10 countries for remote work, according to the index, are Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Estonia, Lithuania, Ireland, and Slovakia.
  • India's Position: India secures the 49th spot in the GRWI but lags behind due to poor performance across all dimensions, particularly in digital and physical infrastructure (77) and social safety (74).
  • India's e-infrastructure ranks low at 95, reflecting challenges in both affordability (78t) and quality (70) of internet connection.
  • Cyber and Economic Safety: In terms of cyber and economic safety, India achieves a mediocre performance (56 and 55, respectively).
  • While it stands as one of the most affordable destinations with the third lowest cost of living, healthcare (93) falls short of appealing standards.
  • India maintains a reasonable standing in cyber infrastructure (13) and response capacity (19).
  • Regional Perspective: Compared to its neighboring countries, India outperforms both Pakistan (93) and Nepal (89).
  • India's cyber infrastructure (13) surpasses Pakistan (62) and Nepal (78), and its tourism attractiveness (13) sets it apart, with Pakistan (18) and Nepal (22) trailing behind.
  • Cost of Living Advantage: India's most significant advantage lies in its cost-of-living index (3), second only to Pakistan (1).
  • However, it's noted that English proficiency in India is subpar (58), suggesting that India remains more suitable for holidays than remote work.
  • Index Dimensions: The GRWI used four dimensions to assess remote work attractiveness, including cyber safety (infrastructure, response capacity, and legal measures), economic safety (tourism attractiveness, English language proficiency, cost of living, and healthcare), digital and physical infrastructure (internet quality, affordability, e-infrastructure, e-government, and physical infrastructure), and social safety (personal rights, inclusiveness, and safety).