The Hindu Business Line : India Inc ‘trains’ guns on short-hauls

Indian companies, hit by inflationary pressure and consequent jump in air fares across sectors, have informally advised their executives to look at “other modes of transport”, especially for short hauls and “places that could be reached overnight by train”.

Mr R. Elango, Chief Human Resources Officer, MphasiS, says that the company is now watchful about its travel-based expenditure and “managers have been advised to leverage other available modes of connecting with clients and employees.” Travel is sanctioned based on needs, he adds. The train or flight decision for short distances depends on the length of the stay, urgency of the work and time on hand . An executive with Satyam Computer Services, Bangalore, says that he and a few colleagues have decided to opt for “train travel to places such as Chennai and Hyderabad”. “This is more a self-motivated measure,” he says.

Overnight train

MeritTrac Services, which has offices across the country, has also instructed its employees to take to travel by rail to places that can be reached overnight by train, according to Mr Madan Padaki, Director. But there are also companies that have always exercised caution when it comes to travel spend. A Wipro employee said that the company has instructed its employees to be “prudent” in spending. “Sometimes it is more expensive to travel by train and check into a hotel than flying to Chennai for half a day,” he says. However, Mr Pratik Kumar, Corporate Vice-President, Human Resources, Wipro Technologies, told Business Line that the company has not formalised any cost-cutting plans yet.

Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Labs too has always been careful when it involves executive travel. Says Mr Prabir Jha, Global Head (Human Resources), Dr Reddy’s, “Even before the recent hikes, we expected our associates to leverage technology and communications tools to the fullest, and to travel only when necessary.”

Retail chain Heritage Foods India Ltd too has brought in some cost-cutting measures. Mr Santhosh Unni, Head, Operations and Marketing, says that the company has advised its employees to make their travel plans at least one week in advance so that the company can get the best airfares.