Nishit Kumar, managing director of the Center for Social and Behavior Change Communication, a Section 8 non-profit corporation, fiercely defended the work ethic that built modern India.
Responding to criticism over suggestion of 90-hour work week by L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan, Kumar urged younger generations to rethink their stance on agitation culture and recognize the sacrifices of those who preceded them.
Addressing Millennials, Gen Z and Gen A in a powerful message, Kumar wrote, “You can laugh all you want at Mr. Subrahmanya’s statement. You were not born in the India in which he and I were born. You have no idea what it took to build institutions.
He painted a vivid picture of the challenges faced in a slower, pre-digital India.
“In 1984, I asked for a landline; in 1992, I received a letter informing me that my landline was sanctioned,” he said. It highlighted the relentless determination of a generation who worked weekends and holidays to create opportunities for the future.
“It was our generation that paved the way for Indians to thrive in the fields of IT and medicine across the world. You are making fun of people like Narayana Murthy and Subrahmanya, who built and maintained world-class institutions. Let’s see where you take India,” remarked Kumar.
While recognizing the importance of work-life balance, Kumar criticized the lack of context in dismissing the previous work ethic.
“No one wants a culture of hustle and bustle to be the norm. Work-life balance is excellent and worth ensuring. But mocking a work ethic that built the country’s great institutions shows little understanding of what India was like just 30 years ago.”
Kumar cited striking examples of commitment and effectiveness. Reliance’s Patalganga plant was completed in half the time expected and ITC Maurya in Delhi was built in less than 12 months.
He also referenced Ratan Tata’s thoughts on work ethic in India: “In India, my senior team would not go home for a week in a crisis. But in the West, no one can work on Friday after lunch.”
He concluded with a pointed observation: “Before you make fun of our senior professionals, think for a moment. And remember, the workers who build the roads, subways, and shopping malls you enjoy don’t have the luxury of a 5-day week either.
