Top Indian IT Firms Urged to Step Up Action on Business Travel Emission Cuts

New Delhi, 31 Oct: A new assessment by cBalance Solutions Pvt Ltd has revealed that top Indian IT companies need to intensify efforts to meet their business travel emission reduction goals.
The study, covering FY 2019-20 to 2023-24, assessed eight major global Indian IT firms and found that five — including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Accenture, and Cognizant — require stronger interventions to align with their climate commitments.
TCS and Cognizant recorded a 30% rise in business travel emissions in FY 2023-24 compared to the previous fiscal year, nearly touching pre-Covid levels. Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and Accenture also reported increasing trends, despite not yet exceeding pre-pandemic emissions.
In contrast, Wipro Technologies, Thoughtworks, and HCL Tech demonstrated significant progress. Wipro achieved a 71% reduction in travel-related emissions from its 2019-20 base year, Thoughtworks 63%, and HCL Tech 39%. LTIMindtree also exceeded its business travel emission reduction targets under the Travel Smart Ranking by Transport & Environment.
The report emphasized that air travel remains a major contributor to climate pollution and that IT companies must adopt “fair travel” policies — such as promoting economy-class flying, non-stop routes, and greater train or bus travel. It also urged companies to integrate carbon pricing and employee incentives linked to low-carbon travel choices.
For policymakers, the report recommended enhanced environmental assessments for airport expansion projects, caps on aviation emissions, carbon taxes, and investment in high-speed rail.
cBalance Solutions, through its FairTravel program, continues to work with IT firms to build evidence-based, sustainable travel practices and foster a fairer, climate-just mobility ecosystem in India.