Shark Tank Judge Namita Thapar strongly advocated for Work-Life Balance
The ongoing debate about work culture in India, particularly the idea of a 70-hour workweek, has been reignited by a recent heated exchange between two prominent figures from Shark Tank India—Namita Thapar and Anupam Mittal. Their discussion, which aired during an interview with Humans of Bombay, has sparked widespread attention, raising important questions about work-life balance and productivity in the country.
Anupam Mittal, the founder and CEO of Shaadi.com, took a strong stance on the issue, arguing that focusing on the number of hours worked is misleading. “I think it’s a big lie being told to this generation,” Mittal stated. He believes that success is not measured by the hours worked but by the dedication and effort put into the job. Reflecting on his own experience of working 16-hour days in the U.S., Mittal emphasized that achieving extraordinary results requires more than just counting hours.
Mittal also highlighted the success of his company, Shaadi.com, under a hybrid work model, which he credits for a 30% increase in productivity. He argued that the focus should be on work-life “harmony” rather than rigidly adhering to fixed working hours. “Work-life balance is destroying a whole generation,” he remarked, stressing that success and struggle go hand in hand. According to Mittal, young professionals should push themselves in the early years of their careers to build character and achieve their goals.
However, Namita Thapar, CEO of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, strongly disagreed with Mittal’s viewpoint. Thapar dismissed his argument as a “crock of bullsh*t” and pointed out that the situation for founders like herself is very different from that of regular employees. She explained that founders have a financial stake in their businesses, making it easier for them to put in long hours. For regular employees, however, a balanced work schedule is essential.
“For founders and high stakeholders, who make tons of money—go for it. Work 24 hours a day forever! But for the common man and woman, there needs to be a certain number of hours that they are supposed to work,” Thapar said. She acknowledged that employees may need to work longer hours when there are specific deliverables but stressed that a non-stop work schedule is not sustainable.
Thapar provided examples to support her stance, including the success of Emcure Pharmaceuticals. “When Emcure went public, it was valued at $3 billion, and my family owns 80 percent of it,” she explained. “Obviously, we could work 20 hours a day, which is what we all do. But the employee? My accountant, for instance, doesn’t share the same financial upside.”
For Thapar, the idea of long work hours as a norm for employees is problematic, especially given the physical and mental health risks that come with such a demanding work culture. “If someone is going to put in that kind of hours,” she warned, “they are going to have serious, serious physical and mental health issues.”
The debate has its roots in earlier comments by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who suggested that to improve productivity and compete globally, India’s youth should work longer hours, similar to practices in countries like Japan and Germany after World War II. Murthy’s proposal to return to a 6-day workweek and extend work hours sparked a nationwide conversation about India’s work culture.
While both Thapar and Mittal agree that India’s work culture needs to evolve, their approaches are very different. Thapar advocates for reasonable work limits to ensure employee well-being, while Mittal believes that extraordinary achievements come from dedication and extra effort, not just clocking in long hours. The debate continues to highlight the tension between work-life balance and the pursuit of success in today’s competitive environment.
