Sat Jan 11 03:02:51 UTC 2025: ## Bajaj Challenges L&T Chairman’s 90-Hour Work Week Proposal

**Mumbai, India** – Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj has challenged Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s controversial suggestion that employees should work 90-hour weeks, stating that if such long hours are necessary, leadership should lead by example. “If you want a 90-hour week, start from the top,” Bajaj told CNBC-TV18.

Subrahmanyan’s remarks, made in a purported video address to employees, sparked widespread outrage online. He argued that employees should spend less time at home and more in the office to remain competitive, even suggesting that he wished employees could work on Sundays. His comments drew comparisons to Infosys founder Narayana Murthy’s previous call for 70-hour workweeks.

Bajaj disagreed with the emphasis on sheer hours, stating that “the quality of work, not the number of hours, matters.” He stressed the importance of a “kinder, gentler world” and called for better leadership strategies, improved decision-making, and employee empowerment to achieve better results.

RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka also criticized Subrahmanyan’s proposal, calling a 90-hour workweek a “recipe for burnout” and emphasizing the importance of work-life balance. Goenka’s comment on X (formerly Twitter) sarcastically suggested renaming Sunday “Sun-duty.”

The debate highlights a growing discussion surrounding work-life balance and the pressures faced by employees in India’s competitive business environment. The differing viewpoints of Bajaj and Goenka, in contrast to Subrahmanyan’s stance, underscore the lack of consensus on the ideal work schedule and its impact on employee well-being.

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