'Whether 80 or 90 hr-week, Indians must work hard': Ex-NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant
New Delhi: India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant has weighed in on the work-life balance debate, asserting that India's ambition to become a $30 trillion economy demands a strong work ethic over a focus on leisure, media reports said.
Speaking at a Business Standard event, the former NITI Aayog CEO remarked that discussions against working long hours had become "fashionable," reported NDTV.
"I strongly believe in hard work. Indians must work hard, whether it's 80 hours or 90 hours a week. If your ambition is to move from a $4 trillion to a $30 trillion economy, you can't do it through entertainment or by following the views of some film stars," he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Kant stressed the need for professionals to deliver projects ahead of schedule without compromising on quality or exceeding costs.
He argued that the ongoing work-life balance debate and calls for Indians to avoid long working hours were setting the wrong example for the youth.
His remarks come amid similar comments by industry leaders.
L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan recently stated that Indians must be ready to work 90 hours a week, including Sundays, to enhance the country's global competitiveness.
Before that, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy had advocated 70-hour work weeks.
Drawing comparisons with Korea and Japan, Kant said their economic success was built on a strong work ethic and that India must embrace a similar mindset to become a world-class economy.
Despite his emphasis on hard work, he insisted that work-life balance was achievable even with long hours.
"I work every day, I exercise, I play golf, and I still manage to work hard," he said, adding that people should set aside 1.5 hours for themselves while still having 22.5 hours in a day.
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