Did L&T chairman's working hours remark just create ripples across social media?

Larsen & Toubro chairman SN Subrahmanyan's recent remarks that employees should work 90 hours a week and report on Sundays have sparked anger on Twitter with leading celebrities such as actor Deepika Padukone, Bajaj Auto's Rajiv Bajaj, Emcure Pharmaceuticals' Namita Thapar calling out the L&T chairman.

Subrahmanyan's remarks were not limited to hard work, and what invited more controversy was when he asked employees what they did sitting at home. "How long can you stare at your wives?

How long can wives stare at husbands?"?

Subrahmanyan made these remarks during a New Year address at the company.

Reacting sharply to Subrahmanyan's remarks, Deepika wrote on Instagram that it was shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements.

Rajiv Bajaj, who is the managing director of Bajaj Auto, said that it was the quality of work that matters, not the number of hours.

"The 90-hour work week start from top. I can work while having my mornin teas while doing yoga. Number of work hours don’t matter quality matters.”

Reacting to the statement made by L&T's top-notch official, Namita Thapar, who is a whole-time director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals, said that high stakeholders in companies should first follow a 24-hour schedule.

"I think for founders and high stake holders who make tons of money go for it work.. 24 hours a day forever,” she said.

Harsh Goenka, chairman of the RPG group, took a dig at Subrahmanyan, saying that turning life into a perpetual office shift is a recipe for burnout.

"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."

Cred founder Kunal Shah advocated for work life balance.

"No big achievement can come with work life balance.”

However, Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO of Ola Cabs, advocated for hard work, saying, "Dont think work life balance is the right construct… weekends are a western concept”

Shantanu Deshpande, founder of Bombay shaving company, asked youngsters to put in hard work, but he also asked them to focus on healthy eating and fitness.

"When you are 22 and new in your job, throw yourself into it. Eat well and stay fit, but put in the 18 hour day for at least 4-5 years.”

As Subrahmanyan's remarks drew controversy, an L&T spokesperson defended the chairman, saying, "The chairman’s comments reflect a broader ambition, underscoring that extraordinary outcomes demand extraordinary effort. At L&T, we are committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance propel us forward.”

The company also issued a statement, which read: "At L&T, nation-building is central to our mission. For over 80 years, we have played a key role in shaping India’s infrastructure, industries, and technological advancements. We believe this is India’s decade—an era that requires collective dedication and effort to drive progress and achieve our shared goal of becoming a developed nation.”