Why L&T’s SNS reserves the right to be wrong!

A viral clip from a town hall meeting at Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has reignited the heated debate on work-life balance, following on the heels of N. R. Narayana Murthy’s advocacy for a 70-hour workweek.

S. N. Subrahmanyan (SNS), the 64-year-old CEO of L&T, who leads a ₹2.21 lakh crore revenue-generating behemoth, was seen suggesting employees work on Sundays and questioning the value of extended leisure time.

The video, which surfaced on Reddit, sparked sharp reactions, especially with SNS’s provocative comment: “How long can you stare at your wife? How long can your wife stare at you? Get to the office and start working.” The comparison to Chinese professionals working 90-hour weeks added fuel to the fire. Critics labelled the comments tone-deaf in a world increasingly valuing work-life balance.

While his remarks struck many as insensitive — especially in a company where the median age of employees is just 33 — they reflect a philosophy rooted in both ambition and context.

Also, to understand SNS’ stance, it’s essential to recognise what L&T represents.

Unlike typical promoter-driven companies, L&T stands out as an organisation —built by employees and driven by their collective vision — with the employee trust holding a significant 14.36% stake, valued at ₹71,225 crore. This distinctive structure fosters a culture where excellence at work is not just encouraged but deeply embedded in the company’s ethos.

Over the past decade, the company’s workforce has grown from 44,000 to over 59,000 employees even as it has managed to keep its churn rate low at 11.7% — that’s notable for a project-driven organisation where deadlines and execution are critical — even as it has a mandatory 10-day annual leave aimed at balancing the scales. Women’s participation, too, has been steadily rising, making up for 8.1% of the workforce with a target to hit 10% by 2026.

Operating in over 50 countries and generating over ₹13,000 crore in annual profit, L&T has consistently demanded a high level of dedication from its workforce. This commitment is reflected in its meritocratic culture, with median remuneration ranging from ₹13.62 crore for whole-time directors to over ₹1 crore for key managerial personnel, and ₹9.77 lakh for employees. This commitment to meritocracy is exemplified by SNS himself, who joined L&T in 1984. Starting off in the company’s construction division, the civil engineer steadily rose through the ranks, becoming CEO & MD in 2017 and finally taking over as CMD in 2023.

SNS’ leadership style and work ethic bear a significant imprint of his predecessor and mentor, AM Naik, who steered L&T for decades and transformed it into a diversified conglomerate. A hard taskmaster himself, Naik’s approach to leadership was characterised by an unrelenting focus on excellence, an ability to take calculated risks, and relentless emphasis on aligning L&T’s growth trajectory with India’s economic ambitions.

More importantly, the L&T Employee Trust is one of the many positive outcomes of a critical challenge which the leadership of L&T successfully addressed in 2002. Faced with the imminent prospect of a takeover, Naik conceived a win-win solution that not only preserved the company’s independent character but paved the way for the formation of the trust.

With L&T adequately ring-fenced, the current CMD is now pursuing a dream of shaping L&T in the mould of Siemens, an ambition that aims to transcend the current contours of the conglomerate.

SNS’ comments about work hours, while controversial, are consistent with his broader vision for the company. “When I see the Chinese professionals working 90 hours a week, I think—that’s how you dominate the world. Americans work 50 hours; how do you compete with that?” he said during the town hall. Hence, in this context, “working on Sundays” appears less as an imposition, and more as a call to action in an increasingly VUCA environment.

Interestingly, the philosophy is universal for SNS — one that is debated within his household as well!

“I believe in work-work balance, not work-life balance,” he had quipped during an earlier interaction with Fortune India. “My eldest son keeps telling me that I need to have a work-life balance. I keep telling him back that you need to have a work-work balance. It’s much better. So, it's an eternal debate that goes within the family, but it is it's fun to have a debate,” SNS told the writer.

While his “wife-stare” remark drew criticism for sounding misogynistic, SNS was candid about the unique bond he shares with his spouse. “She keeps doing something, and I keep doing something, and that quiet peacefulness that exists between us — I think it’s a remarkable way to go about life. There is no pushing each other into anything, and there is no excessive demand on any one of us. That’s a beautiful partnership.”

The truth is that the L&T CMD’s remarks underscore the divide between generational philosophies and corporate imperatives to stay relevant. While his call for a 90-hour workweek might seem excessive, it reflects his unwavering belief in extraordinary effort to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

Simply put, the controversy is unlikely to unsettle SNS, who views the work-life balance debate as both eternal and essential. It’s fitting, then, that when asked about his favourite song, SNS replied: ‘I Have a Dream’ by ABBA.