Employers’ demands that staff return to the office in India might be a tall order, employment lawyers have warned, given how many home workers have largely remained productive throughout the pandemic, while others are fearful of returning to the traditional workplace.

Government data states around 510,000 people have died of covid in India since March 2020. However, some observers believe the death rate – the third-highest worldwide behind the US and Brazil – has been underestimated and could be several times higher than the government’s official tally.