New Delhi: Gautam Adani the chairman of the Adani group recently gave his views on one of the latest issues that have cropped up in India regarding work life balance. His remarks keep in mind the latest comment by Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, who spoke about the fact that Indian’s must work 70 hours a week to provide the country a better attempt. This statement actually provoked huge controversy in the corporate business environment.
When asked about it in an interview, Adani commented that work-life balance is an individual matter and nobody can changed it for you. He joined the fun and said, “Aath ghanta family ke saath bitayega toh biwi bhaag jayegi ?”, meaning ‘If you spend eight hours with your family, your wife might runaway’. This light spirited comment for him was an indication of the fact that though everyone is encouraged to spend time with their family, the amount of time one spends with his family is a matter of choice.
Adani pointed out that according to him, anyone who enjoys his work practices work-life balance on its own. He said, “If one likes what he is doing, then he does not have work-life issues.” He insisted though that there is no rule in which all people have to oblige into. Certain individuals might prefer only several hours for family, while others will require it more. It’s all about the pursuit of happiness.
This discussion attracted even more attention after Murthy’s comments to work long hours. Murthy pointing out that working 70 hours a week is inevitable for India to develop and survive in the global competition. He has told the audience that he used to work up to 90 hrs a week during the initial period of his startup. He also said those who have benefited from free education should do everything possible to pay back society, as people of Japan and Germany did after the Second World War.
Adani’s perspective is quite different. While Murthy focuses on working more hours, Adani believes that the real key to balance is enjoying your work and finding personal satisfaction. He thinks that understanding how short life is helps us focus on what truly matters, relationships and personal happiness, not just working endlessly.
Other business leaders have also shared their views. Bhavish Aggarwal, the CEO of Ola, supported Murthy’s idea but also acknowledged the criticism it received. He said that the younger generation should be committed and work hard to help India grow globally.
