Whether it’s 80 or 90 hours a week, India must work hard to achieve a $30 trillion economy by 2047, says Amitabh Kant

Former Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has said that Indians must work hard to reach the ambitious goal of making India a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047. Speaking on the ongoing debate about work hours, he pointed out that countries like Japan, South Korea, and China achieved economic success through a strong work ethic. He suggested that India must adopt a similar mindset to build a world-class economy.

“I strongly believe in hard work. Indians must work hard, whether it’s 80 hours or 90 hours a week. If your ambition is to move from a USD 4 trillion to a USD 30 trillion economy, you can’t do it through entertainment or by following the views of some film stars,” Kant said at Business Standard’s Manthan summit.

Currently, India’s economy stands at around USD 4 trillion. Kant also said that India must focus on delivering projects ahead of time, maintaining world-class standards, and avoiding time and cost overruns.

Is Work-Life Balance Possible?

When asked about work-life balance, Kant stated that it is possible to maintain personal well-being while working hard.

“I work every day. I exercise. I play golf, and I still manage to work hard. Keep aside one-and-a-half hours for yourself, and you still have 22.5 hours in a day. There’s plenty of time to manage work-life balance, but don’t make it fashionable to say people shouldn’t work hard,” he said.

He also criticised the idea that India could become a great nation without hard work. “We are all sending wrong messages to the young generation of India that India can become a great nation without working hard. No, no country has been able to do this,” he added.

Work Hours Debate Sparks Outrage

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan previously stirred controversy by advocating a 90-hour work week and suggesting that employees should even work on Sundays.

“How long can you stare at your wife,” he was heard saying in a video addressed to employees, urging them to spend less time at home and more at work.

His remarks reignited the debate on work-life balance, first sparked by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy’s suggestion of a 70-hour workweek.

“I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays,” Subrahmanyan said in an undated video circulating on social media.

“What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working,” he added.

Earlier, Murthy had also suggested that Indian youth should work 70 hours a week to increase productivity. “India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world... my request is that our youngsters must say, ‘this is my country, I want to work 70 hours a week’,” Murthy had said.

Inputs from PTI