The debate about work-life balance in corporate India is heating up. ITC Ltd’s Chairman, Sanjiv Puri, recently spoke out after Larsen & Toubro Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan suggested employees should work 90 hours a week. Puri argued that it is better to empower workers instead of forcing them to work long hours. He said, “We want people to feel involved with our company and excited about making a difference.”
Puri mentioned that ITC offers flexible work options, including allowing employees to work from home for two days each week. He believes it’s not about counting how many hours someone works, but about helping employees reach their goals and succeed in their jobs.
This discussion began after Subrahmanyan was featured in a video where he suggested working on Sundays, asking what people do at home. His comments caused a lot of reactions online. L&T later clarified that Subrahmanyan was speaking about the company’s growth plans for India.
Puri shared a different take, explaining how important it is for everyone in the company to have a common goal. He gave an example by saying that a mason putting a brick might think he’s just laying it down, but someone else might see it as part of a bigger project like building a castle.
Many business leaders have shared their thoughts on this issue. Harsh Goenka from the RPG Group said working too many hours can lead to burnout. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, once suggested a 70-hour workweek. Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, jokingly added that spending too much time at home might cause a spouse to leave.
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