L&T’s Subrahmanyan says viral Sunday work remark taken out of context

Larsen & Toubro Chairman and Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan has clarified his controversial remarks about employees working on Sundays, saying his comments were made casually during an internal meeting and were not intended as company policy.

In an interview to The Economic Times, Subrahmanyan said his informal style of communication sometimes leads to unintended consequences. “It was an internal comment addressing operational pressures that someone violated policy by recording and circulating,” he said.

The controversy began in January when a video of the internal meeting went viral. In it, Subrahmanyan was heard saying, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also.” He added, “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.”


Explaining the personal reference, Subrahmanyan said, “She didn’t appreciate being referenced unnecessarily in professional discussion.” He added, “While neither sought apologies, we both felt uncomfortable.”

The remarks sparked criticism online, with many questioning expectations of 90-hour work weeks, particularly for junior employees. The debate drew parallels with Infosys founder Narayana Murthy’s earlier call for a 70-hour work week.

Critics argued that CEOs’ work schedules should not set a benchmark for all employees, citing disparities in pay and responsibilities. The episode has since reignited debate on work culture, productivity, and employee well-being in India’s corporate sector.