New Delhi: Recently, the founder of Shaadi.com, Anupam Mittal a popular face of Shark Tank India Show spoke on the recent controversy involving him against some nasty comments by SN Subrahmanyan, the Chairman of Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Subrahmanyan had invited the wrath of the employees when he proposed that employees should work on Sundays and inquired how long could they “look at their wives” at home. Not surprisingly, many people frowned upon his comments and even various critics and page profiles on social media called him out.
For instance, the notoriously humorous Mittal turned to X (previously Twitter) to write with a chuckle ‘But sir, if husbands and wives don’t look at each other, how will we remain the most populous country in the world?’ Some clapped him for being funny, others teased him saying that his humor is as worn out as the ratings of his show.
But sir, if husband and wife don’t look at each other, how will we remain the most populous country in the world🤔
— Anupam Mittal (@AnupamMittal) January 11, 2025
This comment and similar expressions of dissatisfaction about employee absenteeism came during a discussion from Subrahmanyan who dared hint at the desirability of a 90 hour work week. He began to wonder how any such people could be at home in the first place; implying that it was a pointless way to spend one’s time.
But people’s reaction was abrupt and quite global. Bollywood star Deepika Padukone described the comments as ‘shocking’ and in her IG stories emphasized the need for good mental health and how these views from top leaders are a disservice to how they understand employee wellness.
Ex badminton player Jwala Gutta too lashed out at the comments and wondered ‘why is spending time with your spouse being such a bad thing’. She tackled a pathetic sensitization to mental health concerns in corporate governance and raised the misogynistic undertones of Subrahmanyan’s comment.
L&T decided to issue a clarification to pacify the anger, this only provoked even more anger. The explanation only made things worse according to Padukone who didn’t mince any words.
Business leader Anand Mahindra also joined the conversation but took a more balanced approach. He emphasized that productivity is about results, not the number of hours worked. According to him, great achievements are possible even with shorter working hours, as long as the focus is on efficiency.
The incident has opened up larger discussions about work-life balance and how employees are treated in corporate India.
