Capgemini India CEO Ashwin Yardi Pitches 47.5-Hour Amid 90-Hour Workweek Debate

After Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and L&T Chairman S N Subrahmanyan, Capgemini India CEO Ashwin Yardi has joined the ongoing debate on work hours. Interestingly, he advocates for a 47.5-hour workweek but firmly opposes employees responding to emails over the weekend. 

"Forty-seven and a half hours. We have about nine hours a day and five days a week," Yardi said at the Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum (NTLF), as per PTI. His stance contrasts sharply with Murthy’s suggestion of a 70-hour workweek and Subrahmanyan’s call for 90-hour weeks. 

"My guiding principle for the last four years is: don't send an email on a weekend, even if it is an escalation, unless you know you can solve it on a weekend," he added. 

Although Capgemini India's CEO acknowledged that he sometimes works on weekends, but added that there is no point in giving employees "grief" over tasks that cannot be completed during that time. 

According to PTI, Nasscom Chairperson Sindhu Gangadharan, who also heads SAP India, stressed the importance of prioritising outcomes over work hours during the discussion. Echoing this sentiment, Marico CEO Saugata Gupta reportedly noted that while he also focuses on results, he occasionally sends emails as late as 11 PM.

Concerns of Tech Sector Workers 

The debate over working hours in India gained traction after Murthy advocated for a 70-hour workweek for young employees. This was followed by Subrahmanyan, who controversially suggested a 90-hour workweek and encouraged employees to work on Sundays. 

Concerns over working conditions in the Indian IT sector have intensified, particularly after reports of freshers being laid off at Infosys. The company has been accused of making it difficult for trainees to clear internal assessments. 

Additionally, IT firms have faced criticism for offering low entry-level salaries, which can be as low as Rs 3.5 lakh per annum (LPA). 

According to the latest Nasscom report, the Indian tech sector hired 126,000 new employees this year, bringing its total workforce to 5.8 million.