{"id":213301,"date":"2025-01-12T03:36:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-12T03:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/12\/my-wife-is-wonderful-i-love-staring-at-her-anand-mahindras-witty-take-on-90-hour-workweek-debate\/"},"modified":"2025-01-12T03:36:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T03:36:06","slug":"my-wife-is-wonderful-i-love-staring-at-her-anand-mahindras-witty-take-on-90-hour-workweek-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/12\/my-wife-is-wonderful-i-love-staring-at-her-anand-mahindras-witty-take-on-90-hour-workweek-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"‘My wife is wonderful; I love staring at her’: Anand Mahindra\u2019s witty take on 90-hour workweek debate"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cMy wife is wonderful; I love staring at her,\u201d said Anand Mahindra<\/a>, giving a sharp and humorous counter to the controversial call for a \u201890-hour workweek<\/a>\u2019 made by L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025<\/a>, speaking to journalist Palki Sharma, the chairman of Mahindra Group<\/a> emphasized the importance of quality over quantity when it comes to work. <\/p>\n

When asked how many hours he works in a week, Mahindra said, \u201cThis is what I wanted to avoid. I don\u2019t want it to be about time. I don\u2019t want it to be about quantity. Ask me about the quality of my work. Don\u2019t ask me how many hours I have worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking directly to the youth, Mahindra clarified his position on the matter, saying, \u201cI have huge respect for Narayana Murthy and others. So let me not get this wrong, of course. But I have to say something, I think this debate is in the wrong direction.\u201d He added, \u201cMy point is we have to focus on the quality of work, not on the quantity of work. So it’s not about 48, 40 hours, it’s not about 70 hours, it’s not about 90 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Mahindra, productivity should be evaluated by the impact of the work. \u201cWhat output are you doing even if it\u2019s 10 hours? You can change the world in 10 hours,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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\u2014 gypsy_nilima (@gypsy_nilima) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Taking a dig at Subrahmanyan\u2019s remark\u2014where he questioned, \u201cHow long can you stare at your wife?\u201d\u2014Mahindra said, \u201cI want to tell people that I am on X or social media not because I am lonely. My wife is wonderful; I love staring at her. So, I am not here to make friends. I am here because social media is an amazing business tool. How in one platform, I get feedback from 11 million people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mahindra stressed that balance fuels better decision-making. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are not spending time at home or with friends and if you are not reading and don\u2019t have time to reflect, how will you bring the inputs into making the right decisions?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong> \u2018Extraordinary effort\u2019 justified? L&T backs chairman\u2019s 90-hour workweek comment, draws mixed reactions<\/a><\/p>\n

Mahindra opens up on work-life balance<\/h2>\n

Expanding on the importance of balance and reflection, Mahindra argued that the right decisions stem from holistic thinking. \u201cIf you don\u2019t, if you\u2019re not spending time at home, if you\u2019re not spending time with friends, if you\u2019re not reading, if you don\u2019t have time to reflect, how will you bring the right inputs into making a decision?\u201d<\/p>\n

He credited exposure to diverse disciplines like art and culture as crucial to informed leadership. \u201cThat is why I\u2019m for liberal arts. I think even if you are an engineer, even if you\u2019re an MBA, you must study art, you must study culture. Because I think you make better decisions when you have a whole brain when you are informed about arts and culture, that\u2019s when you\u2019ll make a good decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citing his auto manufacturing business as an example, Mahindra explained the value of being attuned to people\u2019s needs. \u201cLet\u2019s take our business\u2014you make a car. We have to decide what a customer wants in a car. If we are only in the office all the time, we are not with our families, we are not with other families. How are we going to understand what people want to buy? What kind of car do they want to sit in?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mahindra\u2019s remarks come amidst backlash against Subrahmanyan and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who advocated for 90- and 70-hour workweeks, respectively.<\/p>\n

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan\u2019s recent comments advocating for a 90-hour work week have drawn criticism. He questioned, \u201chow long can you stare at your wife,\u201d while suggesting employees should work even on Sundays. This statement triggered online backlash.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong> Work-life balance essential, not optional: Industry leaders on L&T chief’s remarks<\/a><\/p>\n

Subrahmanyan\u2019s compensation of Rs 51.05 crore, as revealed in the company’s 2023-24 annual report, has also become a point of discussion. This amount is 534.57 times the median employee remuneration at L&T.<\/p>\n

The comments from L&T boss has sparked a debate on the unhealthy work culture and drawnn criticism for undermining mental health and work-life balance<\/a>.
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