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In the past week, IBM, Cognizant, Infosys and other technology companies with significant presence in Chennai have been forced to relocate key personnel and functions to neighbouring Bengaluru and other cities to avoid disruption to business — all part of routine contingency plans.
More unusually, especially in an otherwise parched Chennai, companies had to set up makeshift camps in their offices with mattresses and temporary shower stalls and deploy boats for rescue and in-campus transportation.
Technology companies invoke business continuity plans during natural calamities and disasters, which involves moving critical employees and business functions to safer locations so they can continue to support clients. India's top IT firms — Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL Technologies — said they swiftly engaged their contingency measures as the weather in Chennai deteriorated.
"Our clients remain a priority," an IBM spokeswoman said, "and we are continuing to provide 24x7 services to ensure business continuity and, where necessary, recovery solutions for impacted businesses."
US-based Cognizant, which has a significant number of its 219,000 employees in Chennai, said it moved several employees to other centres within the city as well as to other cities and asked some to work from home to provide support to clients.
Infosys followed similar business continuity procedures, moving several of its 25,000 employees to offices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad and asking others to work from home, according to the company's employees. "Infosys has taken several measures to ensure safety of employees and continuity of business at its centres in Chennai," a company spokesperson told ET.
The offices of India's fourthlargest software exporter, HCL Tech, on the IT corridor of Chennai along Old Mahabalipuram Road, were flooded last week, forcing the company to temporarily shut operations and seek the help of boatmen to rescue staff, according to company employees. HCL Tech flew some key employees to its offices in Noida and asked several others to log in from home. HCL and its subsidiaries employ 24,000 employees in Chennai.
TCS, the country's largest software exporter that has more than 65,000 employees in Chennai, managed operations and client interactions without having to move people but gave employees the option to work from home or from offices near them, a company spokeswoman said.
India's third-largest IT firm, Wipro, gave its 18,000 employees in Chennai the option of working from home for most of last week.
Chennai rains leave Tech Inc marooned; firms like IBM, Cognizant, Infosys enforce contingency plans, relocate key staff - Times of India
More unusually, especially in an otherwise parched Chennai, companies had to set up makeshift camps in their offices with mattresses and temporary shower stalls and deploy boats for rescue and in-campus transportation.
Technology companies invoke business continuity plans during natural calamities and disasters, which involves moving critical employees and business functions to safer locations so they can continue to support clients. India's top IT firms — Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL Technologies — said they swiftly engaged their contingency measures as the weather in Chennai deteriorated.
"Our clients remain a priority," an IBM spokeswoman said, "and we are continuing to provide 24x7 services to ensure business continuity and, where necessary, recovery solutions for impacted businesses."
US-based Cognizant, which has a significant number of its 219,000 employees in Chennai, said it moved several employees to other centres within the city as well as to other cities and asked some to work from home to provide support to clients.
Infosys followed similar business continuity procedures, moving several of its 25,000 employees to offices in Bengaluru and Hyderabad and asking others to work from home, according to the company's employees. "Infosys has taken several measures to ensure safety of employees and continuity of business at its centres in Chennai," a company spokesperson told ET.
The offices of India's fourthlargest software exporter, HCL Tech, on the IT corridor of Chennai along Old Mahabalipuram Road, were flooded last week, forcing the company to temporarily shut operations and seek the help of boatmen to rescue staff, according to company employees. HCL Tech flew some key employees to its offices in Noida and asked several others to log in from home. HCL and its subsidiaries employ 24,000 employees in Chennai.
TCS, the country's largest software exporter that has more than 65,000 employees in Chennai, managed operations and client interactions without having to move people but gave employees the option to work from home or from offices near them, a company spokeswoman said.
India's third-largest IT firm, Wipro, gave its 18,000 employees in Chennai the option of working from home for most of last week.
Chennai rains leave Tech Inc marooned; firms like IBM, Cognizant, Infosys enforce contingency plans, relocate key staff - Times of India
