October 19, 2025

Diwali, the festival of lights, is shining extra bright this year at offices across India! Companies are ditching the old strict rules and spreading happiness by offering special gifts of flexibility, time off, and festive bonuses to their employees. Why just work when the celebration mood is so high? Big names like RPG have rolled out a 50% work-from-home policy. Employees can choose to work from wherever they want, with flexible hours arranged with their managers. This means no more worries about getting stuck in the crazy Diwali traffic. For those who do brave the commute, RPG suggests taking Mumbai’s new Aqua line metro. “The Worli metro station in the Aqua line (Metro line 3), which became fully operational a few weeks ago, is just about 500 metres from our head office (Mumbai),” said an RPG spokesperson. What a smart way to skip the jams! Deloitte India is also joining the fun with optional days off next week. “Since most colleagues availed this option, we decided to keep those offices closed and have WFH for those who haven't taken leave,” revealed Deepti Sagar, chief people and experience officer. “Our continuing hybrid working pattern benefits us with each team having the discretion to decide whether WFH will work better due to festive season traffic or any other circumstances.” This gives employees freedom to celebrate without stress. Meanwhile, Embassy Group and SgurrEnergy are giving a well-deserved 9-day Diwali break! Embassy is also dishing out festive luncheons, personalized gifts, and bonuses to add more sparkle, according to their spokesperson. Now, who loves the sound of bonuses during Diwali? The manufacturing sector, especially automotive, industrial goods, and consumer durables, is revving up with timely bonuses. Rajul Mathur from WTW India noted, “Diwali bonuses in India are largely on track this year, especially in the manufacturing sector, including industrial goods, automotive, and consumer durables.” South Indian firms have already rewarded their teams before the festival! And the automotive world is zooming ahead with big bonuses! Deloitte's director Yagesh Singhania shared, “For the blue-collar workforce, there is already a trend of ex gratia bonus for the year being paid during the Diwali month in addition to Diwali gifts, etc. This will continue this year.” Plus, white-collar employees at automotive companies have received their raises and bonuses for the past year. Sales at car dealerships are soaring after GST changes, leading to higher payouts in September, October, and November. “OEMs have already created multiple festival incentive plans to encourage dealerships to boost sales.” Sounds like a bonus blast! From flexible work hours to exciting bonuses, Indian companies are truly lighting up Diwali for their teams. After all, who says festivals are only for home? This year, the corporate world is celebrating too, with lots of sparkle and smiles!

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Tags: Diwali bonus, Work from home, Festival flexibility, Automotive sector, Employee benefits, Diwali celebrations,