Amid heated debate over a 90-hour work week proposed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, many corporate leaders have come forward to question the feasibility of such long working hours, reigniting the debate over work-life balance.
Subrahmanyan is also being criticised for his “how long can you stare at your wife?” comment and stating that he wished to make him employee work even on Sundays.
Now, Naukri.com and Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani has shared a personal encounter with Subrahmanyan to show a different side of the L&T Chairman.
In a long X post, the founder recalled his surprising meeting with Subramanyan in Delhi. “A couple of months ago, I received an email out of the blue. I had never met Mr. Subrahmanyan, but it’s not every day that the chairman of a giant like L&T asks to meet. So I went,” Bikhchandani wrote.
Take a look at the post here:
In a meeting that lasted an hour, he and Subrahmanyan discussed entrepreneurship and startups, with Bikhchandani adding that the L&T boss had “no agenda except that he wanted to learn."
{{/usCountry}}In a meeting that lasted an hour, he and Subrahmanyan discussed entrepreneurship and startups, with Bikhchandani adding that the L&T boss had “no agenda except that he wanted to learn."
{{/usCountry}}“He struck me as humble and amiable, sharing stories about his career and family," he said, adding that he asked Subrahmanyan about L&T’s cash reserves. “He gave me a wild number— ₹50,000 crore, I think. I advised him to invest some of it judiciously in startups. India needs domestic venture capital, and a company with L&T’s balance sheet could lead the way.”
After the meeting ended, the two agreed to meet again, he said. “I walked away impressed. He even walked me to my car.”
(Also read: 'I love staring at my wife': Anand Mahindra takes a swipe at L&T chairman’s 90-hour workweek call)
This comes days after Bikhchandani stated that working 90 hours a week "isn’t sustainable for an entire career."
“Ninety hours a week with seven working days is 12.5 hours a day. You can do it for a week or two if there’s a crisis, but I don’t think it’s sustainable 52 weeks of the year into a 30-year career,” Bikhchandani said, as per a report by CNBC-TV 18.