'Not quantity but quality': Anand Mahindra, Radhika Gupta slam L&T boss Subrahmanyan's comments

The responses to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subrahmanyan's controversial opinion on the 90-hour workweek debate have been coming thick and fast. The latest to enter the discussion is business tycoon Anand Mahindra. Appearing at the government of India's Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, the chairman of the Mahindra Group pointed out that when it comes to employees and work, it is the quality, not the quantity, that matters.

“I think this debate is heading in the wrong direction. My point is that we need to focus on the quality of work, not on the quantity. It’s not about 70 hours or 90 hours. What output are you producing? Even if it’s 10 hours, you can change the world in 10 hours,” said Anand Mahindra.

“The question is, which kind of mind makes the right choices and decisions? I believe it’s a mind that is exposed to holistic thinking, open to inputs from around the world. That’s why I’m so vocal about the importance of liberal arts,” Mahindra added.

He further emphasized the importance of spending quality time pursuing one's passions. “If you’re not spending time at home, if you're not spending time with friends, if you're not reading, or if you don’t have time to reflect, how will you bring the right inputs into making a decision?” Mahindra said.

"I’m not going to tell you to work a certain number of hours. I don’t want you to focus on quantity. I don’t understand why people even ask that," Mahindra added.

Mahindra wasn’t the only one to oppose Subrahmanyan’s views. Radhika Gupta, MD of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, also wrote an emotional post on social media, opposing undue work pressure and highlighting the importance of work-life balance.

“I debated whether to write this post because the risk of being misquoted on this issue in this clickbait world is high. But I’m trying to share a nuanced point of view on work-life balance,” her post on Saturday said.

“In the competitive workplace, I also believe the person who works harder will rise faster,” Gupta added.

She further explained that hard work and ambition are personal choices that have their own consequences.

“Not everybody has to aspire to be a CEO or founder with a mega exit,” Gupta said.

Reflecting on her personal experience, Gupta shared that she worked 100 hours a week for four consecutive months on her first project during her first job, with only Mondays as her day off.

“What was it like? 90% of the time, I was miserable. I would go to office bathrooms and cry, eat chocolate cake from room service at 2 AM, and was hospitalised twice,” Gupta said.

“Most importantly, even though I was working 100 hours, I wasn’t productive during most of those hours. Hard work does not equal hours worked. Many of those hours in entry-level jobs were just facetime,” Gupta added.

In a video message to employees that went viral on social media, L&T boss SN Subrahmanyan had countered the logic of work-life balance.

"What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can wives stare at their husbands? Go to the office and start working," he had said.

"Honestly, I’m sorry that I can’t make you work on Sundays. I would be happier if I could make you work on Sundays because I work on Sundays too," said the L&T chairman.

Subrahmanyan's comments had drawn sharp criticism on social media, with Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone calling them "shocking."

As the issue spiraled into a controversy, L&T issued a statement defending Subrahmanyan’s comments.

In response, L&T said: "We believe this is India's decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realize our shared vision of becoming a developed nation."

"The chairman's remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasizing that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort. At L&T, we remain committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance drive us forward," the statement added.