Want to beat China or US? Start with 90-hour work weeks: Harsh Goenka backs Narayana Murthy work week debate

RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka has stepped into the ongoing conversation around India’s startup culture and work ethic, aligning himself with two high-profile voices—Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.

Goenka’s remarks, made via social media on 5 April, came in the wake of criticism directed at Goyal for questioning the direction of India’s startup ecosystem. The minister recently stirred a storm with his comments at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025.

“When Murthy and Subrahmanyan spoke of 70-90 hour work weeks, and Piyush Goyal questioned startups making vegan ice creams and chasing 10-minute deliveries, they weren’t being literal—they were being directional. They were asking: what are we really building?” Goenka posted on X.

Goyal questions India’s startup aspirations

At the Startup Mahakumbh event on 3 April, Union Minister Piyush Goyal openly criticised the priorities of some of India’s new-age entrepreneurs, particularly those from wealthy backgrounds. His comments ignited debate across the business community and among startup founders.

“Fancy ice cream and cookies. I know at least three or four billionaires whose children make one brand or the other, very fancy ice cream and cookies, and run a very successful business,” Goyal said during his address.

He added, “And I have no complaint against that. But is that the destiny of India? Is the future of India satisfied with that?”

Goyal questioned whether simply launching lifestyle brands and wrapping them in attractive packaging under the startup label was truly serving the nation’s long-term interests.

The wider conversation around ambition and national direction also includes Murthy’s earlier call for a 70-hour workweek—an idea that sharply divided India Inc. Supporters called it a wake-up call; critics saw it as unrealistic.

In January, L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyan intensified the controversy by advocating for a 90-hour workweek, even suggesting Sundays be sacrificed for productivity. That statement further fuelled an already polarised debate.

Goenka, at the time, responded with a sharp quip. “90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept! Working hard and smart is what I believe in, but turning life into a perpetual office shift? That’s a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential. Well, that’s my view! #WorkSmartNotSlave,” he posted on X.

Despite his earlier pushback on extreme work hours, Goenka has now clarified his stance, saying Murthy and Goyal’s statements were about setting a tone—not setting a timer.

“This isn’t about glorifying burnout. It’s about shifting the national mindset—from ease to effort, from quick wins to long-term value,” Goenka explained.

He argued that India’s growth must be rooted in sectors that genuinely “move the needle”, rather than short-term consumer fads.

“If India wants to compete with the US or China, we can’t just focus on comfort, convenience, and brands. We need to build with ambition—AI, deep tech, robotics, clean energy—sectors that move the needle,” he said.

Goenka’s intervention arrives at a crucial moment. India is trying to navigate a turbulent global trade environment, while its domestic startup sector grapples with an identity crisis. At the same time, the country is under pressure to define its own path in high-value technology, sustainability, and innovation.

His comments echo a deeper question now being asked across boardrooms and policy circles alike: What kind of future is India building?

And as Goenka put it, perhaps it’s time to stop chasing convenience—and start chasing ambition.