Indian business leader sparks outcry with call for Sunday work

The head of a multi billion dollar Indian company sparked controversy on social media after he said employees should work on Sundays rather than sit a...

The head of a multi-billion-dollar Indian company sparked controversy on social media after he said employees should work on Sundays rather than sit at home.

"I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays,” S N Subrahmanyan, chairman and managing director of Larsen & Toubro Ltd. said during an internal discussion with staff this week. "What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife, and how long can the wife stare at the husband.”

A video of his remarks was circulated widely on social media platforms X and Linkedin, leading to heated debate about work-life balance in the country. His views echo those of other corporate leaders who argue that India’s workforce need to be more productive for the country to catch with its richer peers, particularly China.

"If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays,” said Subrahmanyan, who heads the country’s largest engineering and construction company. Staff need to work 90 hours a week if they have "to be on top of the world.”

His views drew criticism from some peers in the business community. RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka posted on X that longer working hours was a recipe for burnout and not success.