New Delhi: Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa, came to the defense of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan on Friday, after his recent controversial comment about working long hours, including Sundays, sparked backlash. Kant told NDTV that Subrahmanyan's remark had been "twisted" and "taken out of context."

According to Kant, Subrahmanyan, whom he described as "a top-class CEO," was simply trying to inspire and motivate his team. "He was telling them, '... please work hard, so we can deliver our projects before time'," Kant explained.

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Kant further emphasized that Indians must understand the importance of hard work for economic growth. "Very few countries have been able to grow at nine to 10 percent, year after year, without working hard," he said. "If we are to get out of the middle-income trap, we must work hard... but that doesn't mean you don't have work-life balance."

As someone who strongly advocates for hard work, Kant shared, "I slog it out. I believe in slogging it out. I believe in hard work." He pointed to Japan, Korea, and China as examples of nations that worked hard to grow.

Kant also affirmed his personal connection with Subrahmanyan, describing him as a "top-class CEO" with a stellar record at L&T. "I know Mr Subrahmanyan very well... he is a top-class CEO, and he is someone who has got a stellar record," Kant said, adding that the L&T chief was merely trying to inspire his team to deliver projects on time.

The backlash erupted last week after a video of Subrahmanyan during an internal meeting with employees went viral. In the video, Subrahmanyan responded to a question about Saturday as a working day by saying, "I regret I am not able to make you work Sundays (also) to be honest. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier... I work on Sundays also." He added, "What do you do at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can wives stare at husbands? Get to the office and work."

He also referenced a Chinese acquaintance who supposedly mentioned a 90-hour work week in China, fueling the controversy.

The video prompted a wave of criticism, with some comparing it to Infosys founder Narayana Murthy's equally controversial stance on a 70-hour work week. One user called the comment "another CEO promoting slavery shamelessly," while others criticized L&T for poor work-life balance and low salaries for freshers.

In response to the backlash, L&T clarified that Subrahmanyan's remarks were intended to reflect the larger ambition of nation-building and emphasized that "extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort." L&T's Human Resources chief, Sonica Muraleedharan, also defended the remarks, asserting they had been "misinterpreted" and "taken out of context."