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0 Swiggy CEO Rohit Kapoor recently sounded off on glorifying “hustle culture,” calling it “bull**t” in a conversation about workplace expectations. His comments call out the growing narrative that asks the employee to sacrifice personal well-being for success, which is quite counterintuitive to the recent remarks on extended work hours made by OLA CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and Infosys founder Narayana Murthy.
Kapoor emphasized a balanced approach to work, which does not support late-night grinding as being sustainable by employees for their mental health and productivity at large. “We need to redefine success in the corporate world,” Kapoor said. “It’s not about working tirelessly but working smartly and valuing quality over quantity.
The statement comes amid a debate on workplace culture in India. Recently, Bhavish Aggarwal defended long working hours, claiming they are necessary to achieve ambitious goals, especially in startups. “Building something impactful takes relentless effort. There’s no shortcut to success,” Aggarwal said during an interview, hinting that the tech ecosystem demands extraordinary dedication.
At the same time, Narayana Murthy sparked controversy with the suggestion that Indian employees should work a 70-hour week to drive productivity and global competitiveness. Murthy contended that longer hours are essential to India if it is to keep pace with a country like China or Japan, where employees supposedly do more hours than their Indian counterparts.
The Employee Well-being Debate
The views of Kapoor have started a conversation on the consequences of hustle culture. Its critics argue that long hours result in burnout, decrease creativity, and deteriorate mental health. In this sense, Kapoor’s opinions side with an increasing movement that puts flexibility and employee well-being over a rigid, high-pressure environment.
On the other hand, the proponents of Murthy and Aggarwal’s method believe that the startup ecosystem as well as tech industry by nature is demanding enough, such that all employees are to stretch their working hours beyond what is expected so that breakthroughs come about. More time is needed to ascertain the corporation’s edge in the global market.
Finding the Balance
The debate reflects a fundamental divide between two philosophies of leadership: one that would focus on human-centric, balanced work environments, and another on intense commitment to result orientation. Some employees naturally identify with Kapoor’s call for healthier work-life balance, while others would accept the grind because such is part of the journey toward significant achievements.
This divergence speaks to a larger conversation about workplace culture in India. As industries continue to evolve, it will be interesting to see how companies find balance between innovation and growth without sacrificing the well-being of employees.
The race between these two corporate heavyweights also puts forth a pivotal question: What does one need to be successful, and at what expense? Perhaps the answer lies in creating workplaces that help people grow, not just in their professions, but as individuals.
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