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Journalism of Courage
Larsen & Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan has sparked controversy with his remarks suggesting employees should work 90 hours a week, including Sundays. His comment, shared in a now-viral video, has drawn sharp criticism, with many questioning the feasibility and fairness of such a demand. Subrahmanyan even expressed regret over not being able to make employees work on Sundays, a statement that has only added fuel to the debate.
Joining the conversation, RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka offered a pointed response to Subrahmanyan on X: “90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept!”
While acknowledging the value of hard work, Goenka emphasised the risks of pushing too far, warning against the dangers of burnout. He shared his belief in working “hard and smart,” but cautioned that turning life into a never-ending office shift is counterproductive. “Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential,” he stated, adding the hashtag #WorkSmartNotSlave.
See Goenka’s post:
Sharing a post about Subrahmanyan’s remark, actress Deepika Padukone said, “Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. #MentalHealthMatters,” in an Instagram story.
Subrahmanyan has been criticised by many social media users too. An X user said, “First Narayana Murthy, then Bhavish, and now Subrahmanyan – all playing ‘Superman’ with these arbitrary work-hour demands. Instead of making headlines with absurd statements, maybe focus on leading by example? Or is this just a publicity stunt?”
Another user wrote, “I’m sure in the spirit of “who works harder” someone is going to say 168 hour work week is ideal.”
Another X user pointed out a broader issue, “That is the problem with Indian job culture, it focuses more on quantity. 70 Hours, 90 Hours. Quality of work and well being of employees should be the priority.”
