Covid-19: India's outsourcing sector struggles with work-from-home scenario

That raises questions about whether one of India's showpiece industries can function smoothly amid the coronavirus crisis.

As the coronavirus pandemic pushes India into a lockdown, the call centres and IT services firms that function as the world's back office are struggling to piece together work-from-home solutions and other business-continuity plans.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ordered 1.3 billion Indians to stay at home for 21 days to stem the spread of SARS-CoV-2, following earlier lock-down orders in many Indian cities and states. As of Tuesday, India had reported over 500 cases of the virus and nine deaths.

Many of the companies that provide business services such as call centres, information technology services and business process automation were