Milind Deora joins 90-hour workweek debate amid L&T chairman's remark: ‘Today’s generation values work-life balance’

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora on Friday joined the 90-hour workweek debate after L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan sparked a row with his controversial remark on work-life balance.

Subrahmanyan's comment has drawn criticism from people from different walks of life, including social media users after an undated video went viral.

"How long can you stare at your wife? I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays," Subrahmanyan is heard saying in the video.

Meanwhile, defending the L&T chairman, the Shiv Sena MP in a post on X, said that SN Subrahmanyan represented a generation of business leaders who prioritised relentless hard work, often at the expense of health and sleep.

“Today’s generation values work-life balance while staying equally committed. Entrepreneurs often work longer hours than employees, but both approaches deserve respect & should be left to individual choice,” reads the post.

The work-life balance row was first triggered by Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy, who suggested a 70-hour workweek.

Meanwhile, Subrahmanyan has faced backlash from many people, including actress Deepika Padukone.

Slamming the L&T chairman, the actress took to her Instagram Stories to express her views, calling his comments "shocking".

"Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements," wrote Deepika, along with the hashtag “Mental Health Matters".

Bajaj Auto's Rajiv Bajaj also countered the L&T chairman’s controversial remark, saying, 'Let 90 hours start from the top," adding, “What matters is quality of work, not hours.”

L&T also issued a brief statement saying the chairman's remarks were in the context of extraordinary efforts required to achieve extraordinary outcomes for the nation.

"We believe this is India's decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The chairman's remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary effort," an L&T spokesperson said in a statement.