Anand Mahindra, Rajiv Bajaj, and other industrialists have joined the debate sparked by L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s controversial remarks about a 90-hour work week.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan advocated for a 90-hour work week and suggested that employees should even give up Sundays, and work then instead.
“How long can you stare at your wife,” Subrahmanyan is heard saying in a purported video address to employees where he urged them to spend less time at home and more in the office.
Asked why L&T required its employees to work on Saturdays, he said, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also.” His comments have drawn sharp criticism from several business leaders.
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra responded to the debate by emphasising the importance of quality over quantity in work. Speaking at the National Youth Festival in Delhi, Mahindra stated, “Let me not get this wrong, of course, but I have to say something. I think this debate is in the wrong direction because this debate is about the quantity of work.”
He highlighted that the focus should be on “what output are you doing?” and argued that even in 10 hours, one can make a significant impact, saying, “You can change the world in 10 hours.”
Mahindra further said that the need for a well-rounded approach to decision-making. “We have to have leaders and people in your company who make wise decisions, wise choices,” he said, adding that leaders should be exposed to arts and culture for holistic thinking. He also stressed the importance of spending time with family and friends to bring the right inputs into decision-making, such as understanding customer preferences.
Other industrialists weighed in, with Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla siding with Mahindra, sharing a playful remark on X, “Even my wife loves staring at me on Sundays.”
Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj, while agreeing that the number of hours worked matters less than the quality, argued that any policy of extended hours should start from the top.
He said, “If you want a 90-hour week, start from the top,” Bajaj told CNBC-TV18 on Friday.
“Number of hours of work doesn’t matter, quality of work does. We need a kinder, gentler world more than ever before,” he added.
“The bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle,” Bajaj said as he requested leaders to rethink their strategies, improve decision-making, and empower employees to achieve better outcomes.
Bajaj, however, differed and said putting in enough work is important – whether it’s 70 or 90 hours – but the focus should be on the “quality, efficiency, and effectiveness” of those hours. “That is more critical than the sheer number of hours,” he said.
RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka also chimed in, stressing on the importance of work-life balance. “90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept!” he posted on X.
Veteran investor Vijay Kedia sarcastically commented that long workweeks benefit bosses more than employees, adding that such hard work might lead to buying another Lamborghini.
“A heartfelt moment at the office today: Our boss just brought a Lamborghini. We gathered to congratulate him, and his words truly inspired us: ‘Thank you for all this achievement. Without you, it wouldn’t have been possible. Your relentless 90-hour weeks made this Lamborghini a reality. Today, I promise you all…. if you continue to work this hard, I’ll buy another one next year!'”
These comments are part of an ongoing conversation about work culture, with figures like Infosys’ Narayana Murthy and Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal previously advocating for long hours.