Anand Mahindra On 90 Hours Week: Focus On Quality, Not Quantity, 'Can Change The World In 10 Hours'

At the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025, Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra Group, expressed his views on the ongoing debate surrounding the 90-hour work week. Mahindra emphasised that the focus should be on the quality of work, rather than the quantity of hours worked. Responding to the growing conversation about work-life balance, Mahindra said, "I think this debate is in the wrong direction. This debate is about the quantity of work. My point is we have to focus on the quality of work, not on the quantity of work."

At the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025, Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra Group, expressed his views on the ongoing debate surrounding the 90-hour work week. Mahindra emphasised that the focus should be on the quality of work, rather than the quantity of hours worked. Responding to the growing conversation about work-life balance, Mahindra said, "I think this debate is in the wrong direction. This debate is about the quantity of work. My point is we have to focus on the quality of work, not on the quantity of work."

He further stressed that output is what truly matters. "You can change the world in 10 hours," Mahindra said, highlighting that it’s not about working 70 or 90 hours a week, but rather making the most out of the time you invest in your work.

His comments follow the increasing conversations around corporate culture and the notion of extreme work hours, as proposed by leaders like L&T’s chairman, who has been advocating for a 90-hour work week. Mahindra's statement offers a counterpoint to this narrative, emphasising that work efficiency is more important than simply logging long hours.

Mahindra said, "If you do not spend time at home, if you are not spending time with friends, if you are not reading, if you do not have time to reflect, then how will you bring the right inputs into making a decision?" Mahindra further added, "Often you have to be in a tunnel to complete a project or in a crisis but you should not always be in a tunnel, and Gandhiji said, Open your windows and let the air in."

"I definitely think there is no such thing as work-life balance... It is not about balancing two things; you make good decisions if you have a holistic life and you cannot be in a tunnel all the time," Mahindra added.

When asked about mentorship for young innovators, Mahindra emphasised the importance of platforms that support grassroots innovation. He mentioned initiatives like Enterprise Bharat, which he started to foster innovation at the grassroots level. “We can't rise unless they help us,” he added, underscoring the importance of collaboration between established businesses and young entrepreneurs.