Skip to main content

Work FOR Home

With home becoming the be-all and end-all of one’s interaction with real estate space during Covid 19 lockdown, one realizes the work-from-home may actually spur a thought movement to work-for-home in the post Covid era

By Namrata Kohli 


Having a home during Lockdown has been a privilege. As we think of migrant labourers, homeless people on streets, or doctors having to check into hotels, even cars, we can't overemphasize the importance of that space called home. A home lends us identity, preserves dignity and provides shelter and is indeed one of most defining part of our existence. 
That part of earth we call our own- home is a haven of peace, privacy, safety where we not just live but this place can perform many other functions too like doubling up as office, school, restaurant, theatre, library, studio. Hence home is no longer restricted to being one's private den only, but an uber dynamic space which is both multidimensional as well as multifunctional. Here everything happens- right from personal and emotional interactions to social, intellectual, spiritual with this becoming the virtual melting point of family time, play time, solid work, learning, fun and entertainment.

Lockdown unlocks newer possibilities for home. The idea of home office and home school were not new but people were skeptical about its practical application. Now that everyone has been forced to take the plunge and it’s been tried and tested, it is spurring ideas of revolutionary change in the way things operate. Private sector entrepreneurs and school owners are finding the model of remote working and distance learning, not just viable but also beneficial. Businessmen are already considering giving up half of at least one third of their office space as they find benefits in outsourcing certain functions to employees working out of home. What's more everyone is happy with this arrangement- be it employees or employer. A major slimming of budgets will mean scraping off the extra pounds of commercial space and institutional real estate.

Social media is abuzz with this joke - "Until now, the best vaccine against Covid 19 is made by builders- a Home!" Isn't this true. In my view, residential real estate is poised to become the engine of growth in post Covid times, of not just the real estate sector but India’s economy, despite the headwinds of downturn. People may now want to invest in a comfortable, modern home- one that is "as spacious as their pocket can afford". Barring luxury, I see demand picking up for everything from affordable to mid end housing in India. Too early to say, but commercial's (real estate sector) loss may be residential's gain! 




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Telemedicine to the aid of home-bound patients in the time of Covid-19

Telemedicine in covid-19 times: You can get to the doctor almost anytime, anywhere, be it on your screen, via voice or plain text for a lower price than in-person consult Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi Telehealth is bridging the gap between patient and physicians. The physician can now virtually visit the stay-at-home patient and heal from a distance Telemedicine in covid-19 times:  When 37-year-old Priyanka was down with fever and dry cough, she decided to consult a doctor over a WhatsApp call before giving her blood sample for an RT-PCR test. Based on her symptoms, the physician alerted her that it wasn't a mild Covid infection but a moderate one. His diagnosis was confirmed when the test report showed a viral load count of 20. “The massive benefits of telemedicine became evident during the pandemic,” says Priyanka’s doctor, New Delhi-based consultant physician Dr Arvind Kumar. “Everything is about time and if my patients have complications late at night like, say, at 11 p.m. or 1

Gear, diet, training: What it takes to get up and take up running

  A marathon is more than just a race—it’s a journey of self-discovery, discipline, and perseverance, with runners experiencing a mix of physical challenges and emotional highs By Namrata Kohli Meet Shilpi Kohli, a Noida based handicraft retail consultant who took up running at the age of 48 to balance her sedentary corporate lifestyle. In the last two years, she has completed three half marathons of 21 kms and several 10 and 15 kms. Says Kohli- “Though running is still very new to me it benefited me with my physical, mental, and emotional state. Now that I am 50, running is helping me gain my muscle strength, endurance, weight management, bone health, improved immunity and most importantly better sleep. It has helped reduce the stress hormones and increase the happy hormones. It has not only taught me self-discipline, perseverance, but also how to push through discomfort. The social connections I made by joining the Reebok running squad Noida has broadened my perspective towards life

“Religion is not restricting, rather liberating...there are no rules, only guidances,” says Abhay Firodia on Abhay Prabhavana

A-first-of-its-kind knowledge center based on philosophy of Jainism was inaugurated on 5 th November by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at Maval, on the outskirts of Pune in Maharashtra . Established by  Abhay Firodia, Chairman Force Motors,  a Pune based leading automotive company, this Museum represents a significant milestone in preserving and promoting India’s spiritual legacy as seen through the lens of Jain philosophy.  An alumnus of Scindia School, this “Museum of Ideas”, dedicated to Jain values  was inaugurated on Abhay Firodia's 80 th birthday.  The inauguration was graced by Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister and Maharaja of Gwalior, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, International Court of Justice, The Hague, Maharaj Kumar Lakshyaraj Singh of Mewar; Padma Bhushan D R Mehta, Founder of BMVSS; and Padma Bhushan Anna Hazare, Gandhian leader, Smt. Maneka Gandhi, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, Government of India. The event received spiritual ble