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Both Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan, who had previously advocated for longer working hours, have now reversed their stance. Was it the result of public outrage?
L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan (left) and Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy (right) both seem to not believe in work-life balance.
After sparking a nationwide debate by advocating for a 70-hour work week to make “India number one”, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy walked back his stance on extended work hours. Similarly, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan faced a massive backlash online for suggesting employees work 90-hour a week. In response to the criticism, the company’s HR defended his comments on LinkedIn.
This chain of events begs the question: did public outrage push these industry leaders to rethink their positions on long work hours?
Narayana Murthy revisits 70-hour work week remark
After delivering the annual ‘Kilachand Memorial Lecture’ at the IMC, Murthy replied to a question on work-life balance. He not only reflected on his own experience of working long hours throughout his career but stressed that such choices should be personal and introspective.
“I can say that I used to get to the office at 6:20 am and I used to leave at 8:30 pm. That’s a fact, I have done it. Nobody can say no, that’s wrong. I have done it for 40-odd years,” Murthy said.
He added, “I think these are not issues that should be discussed and debated. These are issues that one can introspect on, one can ingest and one can come to some conclusion and do whatever they want. That’s all to it.”
“There’s nobody who can say, you should do it, you should not do it,” the Infosys co-founder further emphasised.
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This is in stark contrast with his earlier comments on the inaugural episode of ‘The Record,’ a podcast by 3one4 Capital. Murthy told former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai that youth should work at least 70 hours a week to compete with global powers like China and Japan.
Murthy said, “If we want to compete with the fastest growing countries like China and Japan, we need to boost up our work productivity. At the moment, India’s work productivity is very low. The government also must reduce the time it takes for decision-making and curb corruption in bureaucracy.”
“Our youngsters need to work for at least 70 hours a week,” he added.
‘I don’t believe in work-life balance’: Murthy
In November last year, he remained unapologetically resolute about his controversial 70-hour workweek remark. “I don’t believe in work-life balance,” Murthy said at the CNBC-TV18 Global Leadership Summit.
To underscore his point, Murthy recalled an anecdote involving KV Kamath, Chairman of Jio Financial Services, who once said, “India is a poor country with a lot of challenges. We first have to get a life, then we can worry about work-life balance.”
He even highlighted the work ethic of PM Modi and his cabinet. “Prime Minister Modi probably works 100 hours a week. When his cabinet ministers are working very hard, when his bureaucrats are all working very hard, the only way we can show our appreciation for all these wonderful things that are happening is by our work.”
“In 1986, when we moved from a six-day week to a five-day week, I was not very happy with that. I think in this country, we have to work very hard because there’s no substitute for hard work. Even if you’re the most intelligent, you need to work hard,” the billionaire businessman reflected.
He concluded, “I am sorry. I haven’t changed my view. I will take this with me to my grave. I am very proud of having worked very hard… I worked fourteen hours a day and 6.5 days a week till I retired.”
‘Work hard to make India number one’: Murthy reiterates his stance
In December, Murthy once again defended his stance. Speaking at the ICC Cemetery Celebration in Kolkata, he reiterated his belief that hard work is crucial for India’s progress.
“At Infosys, I said we will go to the best and compare ourselves with the best global companies. Once we compare ourselves with the best global companies, I can tell you we Indians have a lot to do. We have to set our aspirations high because 800 million Indians get free ration. That means 800 million Indians are in poverty. If we are not in a position to work hard, then who will work hard?” he asked.
Despite advocating for long work hours in the past, Murthy has recently softened his stance. This shift comes on the heels of backlash against L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyan’s proposal of a 90-hour workweek and subsequent public defence by the company’s HR.
What did L&T chairman say?
In a video that went viral on social media, the L&T chairman added 20 more hours to what Murthy suggested earlier. He proposed a 90-hour work week and lamented not being able to mandate working on Sundays.
“What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife, and how long can the wife stare at the husband? Get to the office and start working If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier because I work on Sundays,” the L&T chairman said in an undated video.
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After his remarks ignited fresh debate on work-life balance, the company’s HR, Sonica Muraleedharan, said that his comments had been taken out of context, leading to misunderstandings and unnecessary criticism.
“It’s truly disheartening to see how the words of our MD & Chairman, SN Subrahmanyan (SNS) have been taken out of context, leading to misunderstandings and unnecessary criticism. Having been present during the internal address, I can confidently state that SNS never implied or mandated 90-hour work weeks,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post.
She added, “His remarks were casual in nature and have been misinterpreted, fuelling a controversy that doesn’t reflect his true intentions.”
But, was that the case? Were his remarks indeed taken out of context, or did the backlash force a reconsideration?
While both leaders initially stood firm on their advocacy for long work hours, the backlash appears to have prompted a more nuanced approach. And it appears like public sentiment in India cannot be ignored, even by the most influential voices in business.
