L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan has stirred a fresh controversy on work-life balance by advocating for 90-hour work weeks.
"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," he said in an undated video, apparently of an internal meeting, which has gone viral on social media.
"What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at husbands? Get to the office and start working," he further said.
"...If you have to go on top of the world, you have to work 90 hours a week," the video has him saying.
To support his views, according to reports, Subrahmanyan shared an anecdote about a conversation he had with a Chinese individual.
According to him, the person claimed that China could surpass the United States because Chinese workers put in 90 hours a week compared to the 50 hours worked by Americans.
His comments drew significant flak from social media users.
An L&T spokesperson shared this response: "At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate. For over eight decades, we have been shaping India's infrastructure, industries, and technological capabilities. We believe this is India's decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realize our shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The Chairman's remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasizing that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort. At L&T, we remain committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance drive us forward."
Earlier, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy had advocated working 70 hours a week.