From Adani's 'Biwi Bhag Jayegi' To Subrahmanyan's 'Biwi Ko Kitna Dekhoge'- India Inc's Work-Life Balance Debate

A slew of Indian leaders have taken to commenting on the work-life balance debate ever since the beginning of 2024. Starting from NR Narayana Murthy of Infosys to SN Subrahmanyan of Larsen & Toubro a lot of controversial comments have come forth advocating 70 and 90 hour work weeks, respectively.

Gautam Adani's Verdict

While Subrahmanyan's comments highlight the redundance of spending quality time, Gautam Adani was recently in the news saying "biwi bhaag jaegi," in an interaction with the media while declaring his stance on the work-life balance debate.

In a conversation with media he recently said, "Your work-life balance should not be imposed on me, and my work-life balance shouldn't be imposed on you. Say, someone spends four hours with family and finds joy in it, or if someone else spends eight hours and enjoys it, that's their balance. Notwithstanding that if you spend eight hours, your wife will run away (biwi bhaag jaegi)."

Gautam Adani also highlighted that the essence of work-life balance is where an individual's personal happiness and the well-being of their loved ones is. He noted that his life revolves around his family and work, adding that his behaviour is often observed and emulated by his children.

The billionaire also emphasised on the fact that life becomes straightforward when one acknowledges the impermanence of existence.

Not only did Adani's remarks come in the wake of Murthy's advocacy for a 70 hour work week but it also overshadowed Subrahmanyan's argument for a 90 hour work week.

What Did SN Subrahmanyan Say?

In a latest interaction with employees, the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Larsen & Toubro, S.N. Subrahmanyan addressed the firm's six-day work week and said, "I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sunday," he said.

However, what caused the controversy was when Subrahmanyan asked, "What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? Come on, get to the office and start working."

The Chairman recollected an incident when he was speaking to a Chinese individual suggesting that China could outpace the United States as they work 90 hours every week as compared to 50 working hours in the US.

He additionally used this as an example to tell employees that if they have to be on top of the world, they had to work 90 hours a week.

“If you have got to be on top of the world, you have to work 90 hours a week. Get going, guys," he said.

Narayana Murthy And His 70 Hours

Earlier in January 2024, Narayana Murthy, Co-Founder of Infosys explained his 70-hour work week comment saying, "I used to work 85-90 hours a week till I retired. I received a scholarship right from my pre-university in 1961. All my friends who went to engineering college received a lot of help from the government in terms of their fees - a highly discounted figure. Therefore, my view has always been that those of us in India who have received so much benefit from the country from the taxpayer have an enormous responsibility to work very hard to bring a chance for the betterment of life of the poorer sections of the society. Therefore I don't regret it."            

Harsh Goenka Slamming L&T Chairman

While slamming Subrahmanyan's asrgument on the 90-hour work week RPG Group's Chairman Harsh Goenka said, “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. Well, that’s my view! #WorkSmartNotSlave.”

Deepika Padukone

Among others, Indian actress Deepika Padukone also slammed the stance saying, “Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. #MentalHealthMatters.”

Also See Post: Work-Life Balance: Country's Top Voices Open Up