A fresh work-life balance debate was triggered across social media platforms after the remarks from L&T chairman SN Subramanyan went viral. Subramanyan suggested that people should be working 90 hours per week, echoing the sentiments of Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy, who had suggested employees to work a 70-hour work week if they are to make the country a better place. The comments from Subramanyan, however, triggered a huge social media backlash, with India's former badminton star Jwala Gutta lashing out at the L&T chairman.
In a video that set social media ablaze, Subramanyan said: "I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays." He further added a remark about employees' time at home: "What do you do sitting at home? How long can you look at your wife? Come on, get to the office and start working."
"I mean...first of all, why shouldn't he stare at his wife...and why only on a Sunday," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Gutta also labelled the chairman's comments as "misogynistic," describing the situation as both "disappointing and scary."
"It's sad and sometimes unbelievable that such educated people in the highest positions of big organisations are not taking mental health and mental rest seriously... and making such misogynistic statements and exposing themselves so openly!! It's disappointing and scary," she added.
L&T also issued a statement after the chairman's comments received flak across social media platforms, including from several celebrities.
"We believe this is India's decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The Chairman's remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort," the statement read.