Amid NRN Murthy’s 70-hour workweek debate, Subrahmanyan’s 90-hour claim, Redditors quip: ‘Modiji works...’

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subrahmanyan has sparked an online outrage for advocating a 90-hour workweek and suggesting that employees should even give up Sundays.

The L&T chairman’s remarks have only added to the debate over the ongoing debate on work-life balance, first triggered by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy in 2023 when he suggested a 70-hour workweek. More than the L&T chief's emphasis on strict working hours, it is his rationale that seems to have rankled the Internet.

"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... What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife?" the L&T chief said during an interaction with employees.

An Online Row

Subrahmanyan’s suggestions stirred a row online. On January 9, L&T issued a clarification on the chairman’s 90-hour workweek. A company spokesperson said the remarks reflected the larger ambition for India, which emphasised achieving extraordinary outcomes by making extraordinary efforts.

The debate lingers on social media including Reddit. Some users brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the debate highlighting how he works ‘140 hours’ a week. "Modiji sirf 4 ghante sote hain —(24-4)*7=140 hours! (Modiji sleeps for just four hours).

Another user said that Modi worked for 126 hours a week.

Modi had said in 2011 that he worked 20 hours a day. "I have very little sleep. All my doctor friends consistently advise me that I should increase my sleeping. I should sleep minimum for 5 to 6 hours. But I have become so workaholic and it has become my habit since many years that I hardly sleep for 3.5 hours. But it is a very sound sleep. I go to bed and within 30 seconds I fall asleep," Modi said during an interview in 2011.

In May 2024, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that PM Modi worked 18-19 hours a day to serve the nation. Before Puri, another Union Minister L Murugan said in February 2024 that Modi said during a lunch with Parliamentarians that he slept for 3.5 hours and does not eat after 6 pm.

"Everyone was surprised and happy at the same time. PM Modi talked about his daily routine, his exercise, his foreign trips, when he visited Karachi. We got to spend 45 minutes with him. We learnt so many inspiring things from him. He said he sleeps for 3.5 hours and does not eat after 6 pm," Murugan had said.

A Reddit user said employers need to pay more if they want people to work for more hours. “Trust me, people wouldn't mind to work those hours but they need to be paid accordingly,” the user said