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L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyan in his latest remark says workers are reluctant to relocate owing to the availability of government welfare schemes like MGNREGA, JAN DHAN accounts, and direct benefit transfers.
L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyan says the reluctance to relocate is even more pronounced in the IT sector, where employees prefer remote work over returning to office setups.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan, who was at the centre of a massive row over his 90-hour work week remark, has again come into the limelight over his latest remark regarding the relocation of workers. He said workers are reluctant to relocate owing to the availability of government welfare schemes.
Speaking at the CII’s Mystic South Global Linkages Summit 2025 in Chennai on Tuesday, Subrahmanyan said schemes like MGNREGA, JAN DHAN accounts, and direct benefit transfers have likely affected labour mobilisation. He added that it is difficult to get workers for the construction industry as they are reluctant to travel from their hometown due to a preference for comfort.
“Labour is not willing to move for opportunities. Maybe their local economy is doing well, maybe it is due to the various government schemes,” he said, adding that the shortage of labour would impact the building of India’s infrastructure.
Discussing high attrition, he said L&T requires 4 lakh workers but recruits 16 lakh due to high attrition. However, however, mentioned that the wages of the workers should be revised as per inflation. He also said workers in the Middle East draw three to 3.5 times the salary they draw in India.
L&T’s Subrahmanyan recently faced huge public outcry after his 90-hour work week remark, highlighting a growing concern among the workforce about the sustainability of such demands and the impact on personal life.
He suggested a 90-hour workweek proposal for workers, including Sundays.
His comments, first circulated in a video on Reddit, had suggested that employees should prioritise work over home life, questioning, “How long can you stare at your wife?” Subrahmanyan expressed regret over the inability to mandate Sunday work, stating, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays.”
In October 2023, Murthy first advocated for the 70-hour work week. He said that for India to compete with the fastest-growing countries like China and Japan, the youth must commit to working 70 hours a week.
