‘My wife also felt bad’: L&T chairman Sn Subhanyan makes the remark about working Sundays clear

Larsen & Toubro chairman and managing director SN Subhanyan responded to the controversy about his remark that indicates that employees should work on Sundays and said the comment was casually made during an internal interaction and not intended to be prescriptive. In an interview with MoneyControl, Subhanyan explained that he was under pressure at the time due to delays and concerns raised by clients. “There were serious problems in my mind. Five or six clients, including some very high profile, talked to me in person, called me and emailed me about our progress. I was worried because we struggled to mobilize staff and labor, and work did not happen as it should. Despite my involvement, projects did not move. Difficult episode for the L&T chief Subhanyan added that his remark was made during a conversation “by the way” and should not have been recorded as such surveys were against the rules. “When one Lord asked me the question, I talked casually, but it (recorded the conversation) went against the rules, because there was a statutory warning of no recording. On reflection, I could have replied differently. Normally I speak in an easy way, this is my style. But I admit that I could talk differently. My wife also felt bad because her name got involved, ‘he said. The L&T chief acknowledged that the episode was difficult for him. ‘Red in my mind’: L&T head ‘It wasn’t easy. It came to me. But what happened happened. I can’t withdraw it now. If a similar question comes in a similar mood, I might answer differently. There was a bad background – the performance was weak. And the performance is our oxygen. If it’s wrong, things come that way. The controversy came weeks after L&T’s annual report revealed that Subhanyan’s compensation in FY25 increased by almost 50%. His compensation rose to 76.25 crore from £ 51.05 crore in the previous year, largely due to stock options exercised during the year.