Discussion on extending working hours has intensified on social media following endorsements from industry figures such as Narayana Murthy and L&T chairman SN Subramanian, who advocate a 70-90 hour work week.
Subramanian's comments about wanting employees to work 90 hours a week sparked controversy after he told an employee: “I'm sorry I can't make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I'll be more satisfied. I'll work on Sundays.” Because it does.” Subrahmanyan's comments have gone viral on Reddit and other platforms and he is now being compared to Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy, who advocated a 70-hour work week a few months ago.
Adding to the debate, Capitalmind Founder and CEO Deepak Shenoy shared his insights on productivity and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, sparking new conversations.
In a post on social media platform X, Shenoy discussed his entrepreneurial journey and revealed that he regularly puts in more than 100 hours a week. Despite this, he emphasized that most productive work is usually done within 4-5 hours each day.
Shenoy's message implies that the key to success lies not in the number of hours worked, but in the intensity and focus within those hours. He also challenged conventional ideas about fixed working hours, asserting that people driven by strict time constraints naturally put in the necessary effort.
Shenoy shared his thoughts on work-life balance and productivity, “All my life I have worked 100 hours a week, but most of it was as an entrepreneur. You don't need to enforce working hours. Those who are interested will be happy to work. Anyway, most of the real work happens within 4-5 hours a day, but you never know when it will happen.”
He added: “I still find it difficult to call meetings work but what I would call work requires more energy. On some level I don't understand this work x hours argument. When I play, I play hard. When I work, I work hard. I suggest you find your rhythm, and I hope you succeed in it; Major economic benefits will accrue, perhaps now, perhaps later, to people who don't watch clocks.
While some industry leaders supported the idea of an 80-90 hour work week, some expressed concern about the concept of a 90-hour work week.
Harsh Goenka, president of RPG Group, said in a post on the X platform: “90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday as 'Sun-Duty' and make 'Day Off' a mythical concept? I believe in working hard and smart but making life a perpetual office shift? That's a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance is not optional; It is essential. Well, that's my vision! #WorkSmartNotSlave.”
Helios Capital founder Sameer Arora said: “Yes. Initially one had to work harder than others to learn, get noticed and advance. In my first job after IIM, I worked in Delhi, where my hours were usually from 9 am to around 10pm and about an hour each way for travel I enjoyed it a lot but still looked for a job with better hours.
“Bottom line: It is not correct to say that the CEO/promoter works 70 hours because he is the owner and gets paid more than that. You have to ask, why was that person able to become a CEO or a first generation promoter? In the first place. Your choice,” he added.