The debate around Narayana Murthy’s call for a 70-hour work week was barely settled when L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan suggested a 90-hour work week. He expressed regret for not making people work on Sundays when asked why L&T requires employees to work on Saturdays despite being a conglomerate.

His response, coupled with the remark, “How long can you stare at your wife?” has been widely criticized as misogynistic. Industry leaders reacted sharply, condemning his statement both for its content and tone.

Senior HR leader Aadesh Goyal expressed disbelief at Subrahmanyan’s remarks, stating: "Really" Hope this is a misquote or misunderstanding. If not, could it be a deepfake? If none of the above is true, then it makes no sense at all. For Goyal, certainly, it is not funny - so this is out.”

Prabir Jha, founder and CEO at Prabir Jha People Advisory, found the statement “shocking and dismaying.” In a LinkedIn post, he wrote: “When someone at the top of one of the largest companies in India makes this statement, not in a small drawing room conversation but to people at large it is both tactless and insensitive.”

Harsh Goenka, chairman, RPG Group, responded with sarcasm: “90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept! Working hard and smart is what I believe in, but turning life into a perpetual office shift? That’s a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential.”

Shailesh Kukreti, Head HR at MKU, called the idea crazy, questioning whether it promotes commitment or glorifies inefficiency: “Is it about celebrating commitments at work and efficiency or promoting slogging with no balance???? I think SNS went overboard with the speed N scale (SNS) running at the back of his mind. Disappointed with such a statement from him. Sometimes leaders do faulter. it's human.”

L&T’s Clarification

In response to the backlash, Larsen & Toubro issued a clarification on its chairman's remarks. A company spokesperson stated: “The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort. At L&T, we remain committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance drive us forward,” said the Larsen and Toubro spokesperson, while clarifying the chairman's comment.”

“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 realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation.”