‘He struck me as humble…’: Sanjeev Bikhchandani remembers ‘surprising’ assembly with L&T boss amid 90-hour workweek row
The controversy over work-life steadiness is again after Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan kicked up a row along with his remarks advocating for a 90-hour workweek.
His remark, “how lengthy are you able to stare at your spouse,” confronted widespread criticism, drawing sharp reactions from company leaders and the general public alike.
Amid this storm, Information Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani shared a stunning and private encounter with Subrahmanyan, shedding gentle on a special aspect of the L&T Chairman.
“A few months in the past, I obtained an e-mail out of the blue. I had by no means met Mr. Subrahmanyan, however it’s not each day that the chairman of a large like L&T asks to satisfy. So I went,” Bikhchandani wrote in a submit on X.
For an hour, Subrahmanyan mentioned entrepreneurship, startups, and digital transformation. “There was no agenda besides that he needed to study,” mentioned Bikhchandani. “He struck me as humble and amiable, sharing tales about his profession and household.”
Towards the top of their assembly, Bikhchandani requested Subrahmanyan about L&T’s money reserves. “He gave me a wild quantity—₹50,000 crore, I feel. I suggested him to take a position a few of it judiciously in startups. India wants home enterprise capital, and an organization with L&T’s steadiness sheet might paved the way.”
Bikhchandani defined how investments in corporations like Zomato and PolicyBazaar had generated vital returns for Information Edge. “We agreed to satisfy once more to debate concepts. I walked away impressed. He even walked me to my automobile.”
Whereas Bikhchandani’s account paints Subrahmanyan as approachable and wanting to study, his workweek feedback have sparked outrage. Trade leaders like Harsh Goenka and Harsh Mariwala criticized the concept, emphasizing the significance of high quality work over sheer hours. “Work-life steadiness isn’t optionally available; it’s important,” mentioned Goenka.
Billionaire Gautam Adani lately supplied a extra balanced take, suggesting that people outline their very own work-life priorities. “Should you and your loved ones are joyful, that’s what issues,” Adani famous.
