BJP MP and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal on Wednesday slammed the remarks made by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, who linked the unwillingness of labourers to work to government welfare schemes. Khandelwal termed Subrahmanyan’s statement “misleading, insulting, and demoralising” to India’s hardworking labour force.
Subrahmanyan had earlier commented on job migration and the hesitance of employees to return to the office.
Here is what Khandelwal said
As reported by Business Today, Khandelwal stated, “Subrahmanyan’s remarks are not only misleading but also disrespectful and demoralising to the significant progress and development achieved at the grassroots level in India.”
He further noted that it is “unacceptable to undermine the hardworking labour force of this country,” the foundation of India’s growth.
What were SN Subrahmanyan’s remarks?
While speaking at CII’s Mystic South Global Linkages Summit 2025 in Chennai on February 11, the Chairman said, “Today, if you ask any tech employee to come to the office, they would resign”.
“If you tell him (IT employee) to come to the office and work, he says bye. And that’s a different world altogether,” he said.
“Labour is not willing to move for opportunities. Maybe their local economy is doing well, maybe it is due to the various government schemes and direct benefit transfers available to them, but they are not willing to move,” Subrahmanyan said.
In addition to this, the Chairman observed a similar trend of IT employees’ reluctance to relocate for work, unlike previous generations.
Earlier last month, the L&T Chairman had sparked an online debate by advocating a 90-hour work week and suggesting employees should even give up Sundays.
Subrahmanyan’s remarks are not only misleading but also disrespectful and demoralising to the significant progress and development achieved at the grassroots level in India.
In a statement, BJP MP Khandelwal called it “highly impractical and a blatant disregard for human dignity and work-life balance.”
Khandelwal also emphasised that such comments reflect a lack of understanding of the importance of mental health and the well-being of workers in the modern era.