Deepika Padukone Responds to L&T Chairman's 90-Hour Workweek Comment
Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone has reacted to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan’s controversial remarks about employees working 90-hour work weeks. The comments, made during an internal employee interaction, sparked outrage as Subrahmanyan urged his workforce to adopt a relentless work ethic, questioning what employees do at home and suggesting that long hours were essential for India’s success. "What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working", he said.
Padukone, who was last seen in Singham Again, took to Instagram to share L&T's statement, adding, 'And they just made it worse', further fueling the debate. L&T’s official response emphasized that 'extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary efforts' and reinforced its commitment to India’s growth vision.
The backlash extended beyond Bollywood, with Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj also criticizing Subrahmanyan's remarks. He stressed the importance of quality over quantity, saying, "Number of hours of work don't matter, quality of work does. We need a kinder, gentler world more than ever before".
Subrahmanyan’s comments also received strong reactions on social media, with users comparing him to Infosys Co-founder Narayana Murthy and suggesting such statements would not be made in global markets. The controversy continues to spark discussions on work-life balance and corporate culture in India.
