New Delhi:
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s opinion on the 90-hour workweek and “regret” for not being able to make his employees work on Sundays has sparked a meme fest on the internet, with many netizens comparing him to Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. For the unaccustomed, in 2023, Mr Murthy said India’s work culture needs to change and youngsters should be prepared to work 70 hours a week.
On Thursday, a video surfaced on Reddit, in which Mr Subrahmanyan is heard telling employees, that he wishes he could make them work on Sundays. He then questions them, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working.”
This comment didn’t go down well with the netizens. A meme page on Instagram compared Mr Subrahmanyan to “Narayana Murthy on steroids.”
READ | “Recipe For Burnout”: Harsh Goenka On L&T Chairman’s 90-Hour Workweek Remark
An X (formerly Twitter) user posted a meme and captioned, “Narayana Murthy after watching statement of Subrahmanyan: ‘Zara hum bhi toh dekhein ki humse bada shaitan kaun paida ho gaya’ (Let me see who is a bigger devil than me).”
Narayan murthy after watching statement of subrahmanyan pic.twitter.com/eX9J2Q6JnR
— Qasim Husain 🇮🇳 (@qasim_says_) January 9, 2025
Another user had a hilarious response to Mr Subrahmanyan’s “How long can you stare at your wife?” question. They wrote, “Sir, if your employees don’t stare at their wives on Sundays.. Then somebody else will.”
L&T Chairman #SNSubrahmanyan Sir, if your employees don’t stare at their wives on Sundays.. Then somebody else will 🤣🤣 #LNT #90hours #lockdown #crazy pic.twitter.com/nLYz43JMgV
— Deepa (@deepasubash85) January 9, 2025
Another X user borrowed a dialogue of Rajpal Yadav’s character from the Bollywood movie Chup Chup Ke and shared it as employees’ response. It read: “Humko maro, humko zinda mat chhodo” (Hit us. Don’t leave us alive).
‘How long can you stare at your wife?’: L&T chairman wants employees to work on Sundays too, 90 hours a week. 🙄
Employee be like 😅 #TCS #lockdown #StockMarketIndia #LT #SNSubrahmanyan #employee #TREASURE pic.twitter.com/xjBq6MNKLc— FIIs DIIs data (@AdityaP43633410) January 9, 2025
Someone decided to do a bit of math and went on to break down 168 hours in a week. They wrote, “90 hours work, 42 hours sleep.” Add up 12 hours of travel to and from work. The remaining time can be spent doing other activities like bathing, cleaning, eating and spending time with family. “Narayana Murthy virus is too contagious,” they quipped.
L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan wants employees to work 90 hours a week.
24*7=168 hrs.
90 hrs work.
6 hrs sleep*7=42 hrs.
Travel from Residence to Work & Back= 2 hrs daily*6=12 hrs.
Nahana-Dhona, Dinner, Family time= 26 hrs in 7 days.
Narayana Murthy virus is too contagious.
— BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) January 9, 2025
Another user shared sentiments of employees looking for more money. They shared a still from the web series Panchayat with the caption: “Aapke fund se thoda paisa mil jaata to badhiya ho jaata (It would have been great if we could get some money from your fund).”
Recent News –#NarayanaMurthy: Work 70 hours a week
L&T Chairman #snsubrahmanyan: Work 90 hours a weekMeanwhile their employees – pic.twitter.com/kt17tTAlvT
— Arun (@ArunKNairr) January 9, 2025
A meme shows Narayana Murthy saying, “I noticed you have copied my style.”
L&T chairman calls for a 90 hour work week
Narayan Murthy : pic.twitter.com/p76qPyesYx— SwatKat💃 (@swatic12) January 9, 2025
Following harsh criticism, L&T issued a statement that read, “At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate. For over eight decades, we have been shaping India’s infrastructure, industries, and technological capabilities. We believe this is India’s decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation.”
