Amitabh Kant, former Niti Aayog CEO and India’s G20 Sherpa, has emphasized the need for a strong work ethic to achieve India’s ambitious goal of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047. He argued that Indians must be prepared to work long hours, drawing parallels with the economic success of nations like Japan, South Korea, and China.
Speaking at Business Standard’s Manthan summit, Kant directly addressed the ongoing debate about working hours, stating, “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 USD 4 trillion to a USD 30 trillion economy, you can’t do it through entertainment or by following the views of some film stars.” He stressed that India’s current economic size of around $4 trillion necessitates a significant increase in productivity and dedication.
Kant dismissed the idea that hard work and personal well-being are mutually exclusive. “I work every day. I exercise. I play golf, and I still manage to work hard. Keep aside one-and-a-half-hour for yourself, and you still have 22.5 hours in a day. There’s plenty of time to manage work-life balance, but don’t make it fashionable to say people shouldn’t work hard,” he asserted. He also highlighted the importance of efficient project execution, urging Indians to “learn the art of delivering projects with world-class excellence without time and cost overruns.”
Kant’s comments come amid a broader discussion sparked by recent remarks from prominent business leaders. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, for instance, advocated for a 90-hour workweek, even suggesting employees forego Sundays. “How long can you stare at your wife?” he reportedly said in a video address to employees, urging them to prioritize work over home life. He also expressed regret that he could not make people work on Sundays.
Similarly, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy reignited the debate by suggesting a 70-hour workweek, citing India’s low work productivity. “India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world…my request is that our youngsters must say, ‘this is my country, I want to work 70 hours a week’,” Murthy had stated.
Kant echoed this sentiment, warning against the “wrong messages” being sent to the younger generation that India can achieve greatness without hard work. He concluded that no nation has ever achieved significant economic growth without a strong work ethic, emphasizing that India must follow suit to realize its ambitious economic goals.
