MUMBAI: As the debate over work hours in India continues after Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan suggested a 90-hour work week, Capgemini CEO Ashwin Yardi on Tuesday put forward a more balanced approach, supporting a 47.5-hour work week while discouraging emails to employees on weekends.
In his address at the 'Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum' here, Yardi explained his stance on maintaining a structured workweek.
"Forty-seven and a half hours. We have about nine and a half hours a day and five days a week,” he told the gathering.
The Capgemini CEO also shared that his guiding principle for the past four years has been to avoid sending emails over the weekend unless the issue can genuinely be resolved during that time.
While he admitted to working on weekends occasionally, he said he refrains from emailing his employees to prevent unnecessary stress.
The debate around long work hours has seen mixed reactions from industry leaders. Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube expressed his disagreement with the idea of working excessively long hours.
"I don’t want youngsters to work 70 hours. If I’m not doing it, how can I expect them to?" he said recently.
Dube emphasised the importance of work-life balance, noting that professionals should be able to advance in their careers while maintaining personal time.
"I want people to have that perspective," he added, highlighting that many professionals later regret not spending more time with their families and friends.
Nasscom Chairperson Sindhu Gangadharan, who also leads SAP India, echoed similar views, stating that outcomes should matter more than the number of hours worked.
Marico CEO Saugata Gupta shared that while he agrees with the need for work-life balance, he himself sometimes sends emails as late as 11 p.m.
The debate was first ignited by Infosys founder Narayana Murthy who advocated for 70-hour workweeks.
Subrahmanyan last month said that he regretted that L&T employees weren't working on Sundays, saying: "If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also."