The debate around work-life balance has taken centre stage once again after Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan suggested that employees should work up to 90 hours a week.<\/p>\n
In a now-viral video, Mr Subrahmanyan spoke about a demanding work schedule. He can be heard saying, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can wives stare at their husbands? Go to the office and start working”.<\/p>\n
“Honestly, I am sorry that I am not able to make you work on Sundays. I will be happier if I can make you work on Sundays, because I work on Sundays too,” he added.<\/p>\n
While SN Subrahmanyan’s remarks faced backlash online, he’s not the only one advocating for longer work hours. Many global leaders have echoed similar views. Here are some notable names who support the idea of longer workweeks.<\/p>\n
Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy dominated headlines in October 2023, when he suggested that young Indians should work 70 hours a week to increase productivity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking on a podcast by 3one4 Capital, he said, \u201cIndia has the lowest productivity among all economies. Unless we reduce corruption and focus on hard work, we will not be competitive globally.\u201d He went on to add, \u201cSo therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say \u2018this is my country. I’d like to work 70 hours a week’.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is another vocal advocate of long working hours. In 2018, he referenced his own companies \u2014 SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company and Neuralink \u2014 and posted on X (then Twitter), \u201cThere are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about the ideal number of hours required to make an impact, Mr Musk suggested that working 80 hours a week is a sustainable baseline, with peaks exceeding 100 hours. \u201cPain level increases exponentially above 80,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
\nThere are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week<\/p>\n
\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 26, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nVaries per person, but about 80 sustained, peaking above 100 at times. Pain level increases exponentially above 80.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 26, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Jack Ma<\/strong><\/h3>\n
In 2019, Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba, endorsed China’s \u201c996\u201d work schedule \u2014 working from 9 am. to 9 pm, six days a week \u2014 in a blog post<\/a> saying that employees who worked longer hours will get the \u201crewards of hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bhavish Aggarwal<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal also took a stance against the traditional notion of work-life balance. In an interview with YourStory, he described two-day weekends as a \u201cWestern cultural import\u201d that doesn’t align with Indian traditions. He explained that India’s traditional holiday system followed the lunar calendar, with just a couple of days off each month.<\/p>\n
Aadit Palicha<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha said that his team often worked between 80 and 100 hours a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking 80-100 hours a week, we could have probably worked half of that with a lot less stress…At a certain point, money becomes inconsequential. We love what we’re building, we work like crazy, and we’re genuinely so excited about what we’re creating,\u201d Palicha said at the NDTV World Summit in October 2024.<\/p>\n
Shantanu Deshpande<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Bombay Shaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande faced backlash after he shared a post on LinkedIn<\/a> urging young professionals to work 18-hour days in the initial years of their careers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you are 22 and new in your job, throw yourself into it. Eat well and stay fit, but put in the 18-hour days for at least 4-5 years,\u201d Mr Deshpande wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dismissing the idea of work-life balance at the start of one’s career, he added, \u201cI see a lot of youngsters who watch random content all over and convince themselves that ‘work-life balance, spending time with family, rejuvenation bla bla’ is important. It is, but not that early. That early, worship your work. Whatever it is. The flex you build in the first 5 years of your career carries you for the rest of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anupam Mittal<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Shaadi.com CEO and Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal has also voiced his opinions on long working hours.<\/p>\n
Speaking to \u2018Humans of Bombay’ in December 2024, he said, \u201cI think it is a big lie that’s being told to this generation… you are not going to achieve anything extraordinary in life by counting the hours that you are putting in.\u201d<\/p>\n
While many leaders advocate for longer working hours, others have spoken in favour of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.<\/p>\n
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon suggested that individuals should carve out time for personal commitments rather than blaming their jobs for a lack of balance.<\/p>\n
RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka and Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, are also prominent voices against hustle culture.<\/p>\n
During the Humans of Bombay interview, Thapar engaged in a heated debate with Anupam Mittal, disagreeing with his views on work-life balance. Thapar stressed that mental health and family time are crucial and should not be compromised in pursuit of professional success.<\/p>\n
\u200bThe recent remarks by L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, along with similar statements from Narayana Murthy, Elon Musk, and Jack Ma, have sparked fresh debates on long work hours and work-life balance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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