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.
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".
"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.
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.
Narayana Murthy
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.
Speaking on a podcast by 3one4 Capital, he said, “India has the lowest productivity among all economies. Unless we reduce corruption and focus on hard work, we will not be competitive globally.” He went on to add, “So therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say ‘this is my country. I'd like to work 70 hours a week'.”
Elon Musk
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is another vocal advocate of long working hours. In 2018, he referenced his own companies — SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company and Neuralink — and posted on X (then Twitter), “There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week.”
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. “Pain level increases exponentially above 80,” he noted.
Jack Ma
In 2019, Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba, endorsed China's “996” work schedule — working from 9 am. to 9 pm, six days a week — in a blog post saying that employees who worked longer hours will get the “rewards of hard work.”
Bhavish Aggarwal
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 “Western cultural import” 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.
Aadit Palicha
Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha said that his team often worked between 80 and 100 hours a week.
“Working 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,” Palicha said at the NDTV World Summit in October 2024.
Shantanu Deshpande
Bombay Shaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande faced backlash after he shared a post on LinkedIn urging young professionals to work 18-hour days in the initial years of their careers.
“When 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,” Mr Deshpande wrote.
Dismissing the idea of work-life balance at the start of one's career, he added, “I 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.”
Anupam Mittal
Shaadi.com CEO and Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal has also voiced his opinions on long working hours.
Speaking to ‘Humans of Bombay' in December 2024, he said, “I 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.”
While many leaders advocate for longer working hours, others have spoken in favour of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
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.
RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka and Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, are also prominent voices against hustle culture.
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.
