Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani gave a witty response to the ongoing 70-hour workweek debate, jokingly remarking that if someone spends 8 hours a day focused solely on work, their wife might run away.
In an interview with news agency IANS, Mr. Adani remarked, “Your idea of work-life balance shouldn’t be imposed on me, and mine shouldn’t be imposed on you. For instance, someone might find joy in spending four hours with family, while another might prefer eight hours—that’s their balance. Though, if you spend eight hours, biwi bhaag jayegi (your wife might run away).”
Adani emphasised the importance of maintaining work-life balance, adding that it is achieved when individuals engage in activities they genuinely enjoy.
He highlighted that the true essence of work-life balance lies in personal happiness and the well-being of loved ones. “Work-life balance is achieved when you do what you enjoy. For many of us, it’s family and work—we don’t have a world beyond that. Our children also observe this and take note. No one is here permanently. Understanding this simplifies life,” Mr Adani added.
His remarks come amidst a heated debate sparked by Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy’s suggestion of a 70-hour workweek to help India compete with advanced economies.
Defending his position at the Indian Chamber of Commerce centenary launch, Mr Murthy said, “At Infosys, I advocated comparing ourselves with the best global companies. If we aspire to be like them, we Indians must work harder. With 800 million people relying on free rations, indicating widespread poverty, who else will work hard if not us?”
