Capgemini India CEO Ashwin Yardi has rejected the idea of an extended 70 to 90-hour workweek, advocating instead for a balanced approach to working hours in India.
Speaking at the Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum (NTLF) in Mumbai, Yardi expressed his support for a 47.5-hour workweek, explaining that this translates to nine hours per day over five days a week. He emphasized that excessive working hours do not necessarily lead to increased productivity.
No Emails on Weekends Policy
Yardi also highlighted his commitment to maintaining work-life balance by ensuring that emails are not sent on weekends unless absolutely necessary.
“My guiding principle for the last four years is don’t send an e-mail on a weekend, even if it is an escalation, unless you know you can solve it on a weekend,” he stated.
Although he admitted to occasionally working on weekends, Yardi refrains from sending emails to employees unnecessarily, recognizing that it would only cause stress without yielding productive outcomes.
Industry Leaders Discuss Work Productivity
At the same event, Nasscom Chairperson Sindhu Gangadharan, who also leads SAP India, stressed that workplace productivity should be measured by outcomes rather than the number of hours worked. Similarly, Marico CEO Saugata Gupta agreed with this approach but admitted that he sometimes sends emails late at night.
Debate Over Long Workweeks
Yardi’s comments come amid an ongoing debate about long work hours in India, which was recently reignited by Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy’s call for a 70-hour workweek. Following this, L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan suggested a 90-hour workweek, even expressing regret that employees do not work on Sundays.
Subrahmanyan’s remarks stirred controversy when he questioned the need for personal time at home, saying:
“What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife, and how long can the wife stare at the husband?”
The debate has raised discussions about work-life balance, employee well-being, and workplace productivity in India’s corporate sector.
