Mon Jan 13 07:44:03 UTC 2025: ## Mahindra Challenges 90-Hour Workweek Debate: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity

**NEW DELHI** – The ongoing debate surrounding excessive work hours, sparked by L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s controversial suggestion of a 90-hour workweek, has drawn sharp criticism from Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra. Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025, Mahindra emphasized the importance of prioritizing the *quality* of work over the *quantity* of hours spent.

Mahindra’s comments follow similar statements from other prominent figures, including Bajaj Auto’s Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj and RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka, all rejecting the notion that long hours equate to productivity. Mahindra stated that “It’s not about 48, 40 hours, it’s not about 70 hours, it’s not about 90 hours. What output are you doing even if it’s 10 hours? You can change the world in 10 hours.”

Subrahmanyan’s remarks, which included insensitive comments about spouses, ignited the controversy. His suggestion that employees should work on Sundays sparked widespread backlash, adding fuel to an already heated discussion about work-life balance. The initial impetus for the debate came from Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy’s earlier suggestion of a 70-hour workweek.

Bajaj echoed Mahindra’s sentiment, stating that “Number of hours of work doesn’t matter, quality of work does. We need a kinder, gentler world more than ever before.” Goenka further reinforced the need for work-life balance, calling it “essential,” not optional, and criticizing the idea of eliminating days off.

Mahindra also used his platform to clarify his own social media usage, stating that his presence on X (formerly Twitter) is primarily for business purposes, not social networking.

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