"Let It Start From Top": Rajiv Bajaj On L&T Chief's 90-Hour Workweek Remark

Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj has weighed in on the 90-hour work-week debate, which was recently triggered by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subrahmanyan, and suggested that the practice of working for long hours – if at all required to be followed – must start from the top.

“If you want a 90-hour week, start from the top,” Mr Bajaj told CNBC-TV18 on Friday.

“Number of hours of work doesn’t matter, quality of work does. We need a kinder, gentler world more than ever before,” he added.

“The bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle,” Mr Bajaj said as he requested leaders to rethink their strategies, improve decision-making, and empower employees to achieve better outcomes.

His remarks come days after SN Subrahmanyan sparked an online outrage with his comments suggesting employees should work 90 hours a week and even on Sundays to remain competitive.

 “How long can you stare at your wife,” Mr Subrahmanyan is heard saying in a purported video address to employees where he urged them to spend less time at home and more in the office.

Asked why L&T required its employees to work on Saturdays, he said, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also.”

His comments, however, drew sharp responses on social media, with many users comparing him to Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, who last year also called for Indian youth to work for 70 hours a week.

Mr Bajaj, however, differed and said putting in enough work is important – whether it’s 70 or 90 hours – but the focus should be on the “quality, efficiency, and effectiveness” of those hours.

“That is more critical than the sheer number of hours,” he said.

RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka also joined the debate and said the work-life balance is “essential”.

“90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept!” he posted on X.

“Working hard and smart is what I believe in, but turning life into a perpetual office shift? That’s a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential. Well, that’s my view! #WorkSmartNotSlave”,” Mr Goenka said.