Harsh Mariwala On Work-Life Balance: Why Efficiency, Not Long Hours, Built Marico

Marico Ltd. Chairman Harsh Mariwala has come up with an important suggestion amid the rising debate over work-life balance and work culture in India. In a post on X, the Marico founder outlined that what “matters most is efficiency and focus” rather than long hours at the office.

Mariwala said that work-life balance, not marathon workdays, was the foundation on which he built the fast-moving consumer goods company. In a post on X, he wrote that balance “is not a modern idea” but something he adopted “from the very beginning” of his career.

He looked back at his early years in the organisation, saying, “Even as I was building Marico, I rarely stayed in office beyond six in the evening. The evenings were always for myself.”

Highlighting what he did in the evening, he said, “Sometimes it was squash or golf, sometimes an hour in the gym, sometimes listening to Indian classical music while walking and often spending time with family.”

He, however, added that this approach did not mean that he neglected his work. Instead, he planned his day differently. “I often carried papers home and spent time on them before dinner. My commute became my office on the move, a time for reading or making calls,” he said, adding that once he left the office, “I shifted the context but kept the discipline.”

Mariwala stated that this “rhythm” helped him “sustain energy over decades.”

He then went on to challenge the belief that longer hours meant better output, stating, “Many assume that longer hours lead to greater output. In truth, what matters most is efficiency and focus.”

He ended his post, saying, “Plan your day well, delegate and empower to good talent and identify what deserves attention and pursue it with intensity.”

Mariwala’s views come at a time when comments by industry heavyweights like Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal on work-life balance have led to animated discussions across corporate India.

Murthy had said that he favoured a 70-hour workweek. But Infosys advised staff members not to overwork, in contrast to his stance. In July 2025, the IT company highlighted health concerns related to long work hours and encouraged employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Aggarwal, too, supported Murthy’s stance, saying he is “fully in sync” with the notion of a 70-hour workweek. He also questioned the idea of work-life balance itself, stating, “I don't think work-life balance is the right construct.” He added that the idea of having weekends off was a “Western cultural import,” not an idea that’s intrinsically Indian.