Hours after Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's video on 90 hours workweek went viral, actor Deepika Padukone recently expressed her disapproval of the matter. Responding to a post by journalist Faye D'Souza on Instagram, Padukone stated: "Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. #MentalHealthMatters."
Subrahmanyan is facing backlash for advocating a 90-hour workweek, including Sundays, as a means to stay competitive. His remarks, captured in a video from an internal discussion, have sparked widespread criticism and drawn comparisons to controversial statements made by Infosys founder Narayana Murthy.
In an employee interaction session, Subrahmanyan was questioned about the company's policy of requiring employees to work on Saturdays despite being a multi-billion dollar company. In a video that has since gone viral on Reddit, Subrahmanyan responded, "I'm sorry I can't make you work on Sundays. If I can get you to work on Sundays, I'll be even happier because I do as well. What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working.”
The chairman stirred controversy with his remarks questioning employees' activities during their downtime at home, suggesting they should come to the office and start working instead of spending time at home. His comments drew sharp criticism for their tone and implications.
The L&T chairman justified his stance by sharing an anecdote of a conversation he had with a Chinese professional. The professional claimed that China could potentially surpass the United States due to its stronger work ethic, citing that Chinese people work 90 hours a week compared to Americans who work only 50 hours a week. Drawing parallels from this anecdote, Mr. Subrahmanyan encouraged L&T employees to adopt a similar work culture. He stated, "If you aspire to be at the top, you must be willing to put in 90 hours of work per week."
Following the viral spread of the video, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) released a statement in support of Subrahmanyan's comments, stating that exceptional results require exceptional dedication.
"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," said an L&T spokesperson.
"The Chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasizing that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort," the statement further said.
In 2023, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy proposed the concept of a full seven-day work week, suggesting that to strengthen India's competitiveness against economies like China, youth should be prepared to work 70 hours per week. While this idea garnered support from some, others argued that the quality of work is more important than the quantity of hours spent.