Is India’s hybrid work model becoming the new normal with smarter, purposeful office days?

India’s workplaces are steadily embracing hybrid work as the default model, but with a growing emphasis on purposeful office presence, according to the latest report by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

As companies expand across cities and time zones, experts say the next one to two years will focus less on mandating specific office days and more on making in-person work meaningful for collaboration, visibility and career progression.

Employees who use in-office days strategically for networking and teamwork are likely to advance faster, while organisations that decentralise policy decisions to managers are expected to benefit from both flexibility and performance.

ACCA’s survey shows hybrid work remains the preferred model both globally and in India. About 75% of respondents worldwide and 79% in India favour hybrid arrangements over fully remote or fully office-based setups. In India, 53% of employees currently work in a hybrid model, up from 45% last year and above the global average of 45%. The report notes this increase “suggests that organisations are responding to the preferred work patterns of employees.”

The findings also highlight strong support for “intentional office presence.” In India, 74% of respondents agree that companies should require employees to spend a set number of days in the office each week, and 69% believe greater office attendance aids career progression—significantly higher than the 58% global figure. Among Gen Z in India, the figure rises to 72%, compared to 63% globally.

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Experts at ACCA’s India roundtable described hybrid work as a “more balanced approach,” allowing employees to prioritise remote tasks while facilitating collaboration. They cautioned against rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates.

“It’s not true that you need to be physically present to engage better. Wherever technology permits hybrid work, we should use it,” said Nisha Srinivasan of Dell Technologies, quoted in the report.

Giridharan R of Grant Thornton Bharat added that “organisations need purposeful and intentional policies that balance client needs with individual flexibility,” recommending frameworks where managers can adapt decisions for their teams.

With 55% of Indian respondents expecting to spend more time in the office over the next one to two years, ACCA’s findings suggest that companies which design meaningful, goal-oriented in-person workdays are likely to gain an edge in retention, productivity and career growth.