Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani is very open to the ongoing work-life balance and 70-hour work week debate. The industrialist said that they feel balanced when they do what they love and life becomes simpler when they accept that they will die.
“Your work-life balance should not be imposed on me, and my work-life balance should not be imposed on you. If someone spends four hours with family and enjoys it, or someone else spends eight hours and enjoys it, say. That, Even if you spend eight hours, that's their balance. Wife will be happy (The wife runs away),” observed the industrialist.
He said that children see that there is no world outside one's family and work and focus on it.
“When you do what you love, your work-life balance… For us, it's family or work, we don't care about this… Our children also observe and take note of that. It's… No one has ever come to realize this in life. It gets simpler,” Adani said.
Adani's statement comes amid a debate by Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, who advocated a 70-hour week to help India compete with advanced economies.
Defending his 70-hour work week statement, Murthy said at the Indian Chamber of Commerce's centenary launch that Indians have a lot of catching up to do when compared to the best global companies.
“We have to keep our ambitions high because 800 million Indians are getting free rations. That means 800 million Indians are living in poverty. If we can't work hard, who will work hard?” Murthy said.
Moreover, Adani is not the only one questioning Murthy's 70-hour workweek advice. Namita Thapar, executive director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, said in a recent interview that there is a big difference in the situation of startups and regular employees.
She said founders like her have large financial stakes in their companies and, thus, are willing to put in long hours. Thapar added that regular employees cannot do this and there should be specific working hours for them.
She believes the idea of working long hours for regular employees is problematic because of the damage it can do to their physical and mental health.