Fri Jan 10 10:19:35 UTC 2025: ## L&T Chairman’s 90-Hour Work Week Suggestion Sparks Outrage, Salary Discrepancy Highlights Controversy
**Mumbai, India** – Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyam is facing intense backlash after suggesting employees work 90 hours a week. His comments, which followed similar remarks by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani about a 70-hour work week, have ignited a firestorm on social media, with criticism coming from users, business leaders, and even celebrities.
The controversy is further fueled by a significant disparity between Subrahmanyam’s compensation and that of L&T employees. A Business Today report reveals Subrahmanyam earned ₹51 crore (approximately $6.2 million USD) in FY2023-24, a 43.11% increase from the previous year. This includes a base salary of ₹3.6 crore and a commission of ₹35.28 crore. The report highlights that this is 534 times the average employee package of ₹9.55 lakh (approximately $11,600 USD) for the same fiscal year.
Subrahmanyam’s remarks, made during a video conference, included a statement urging employees to spend less time at home with their families and more time at the office. He reportedly expressed regret that he couldn’t mandate Sunday work. This prompted widespread condemnation, with many criticizing the disconnect between his high compensation and the expectation of excessive work hours from employees.
L&T has since issued a statement defending Subrahmanyam’s comments, framing them as reflecting the company’s ambition to achieve exceptional results through exceptional effort. The statement emphasized the company’s commitment to a culture of passion and performance, but failed to address the significant salary disparity at the heart of the controversy. The statement has done little to quell the ongoing social media outrage.
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