‘I cried in bathrooms…’: Edelweiss’ Radhika Gupta weighs in on L&T boss’ 90-hour workweek row

L&T Chairman S.N. Amid a heated debate over Subrahmanian’s defense of the 90-hour work week, Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO Radhika Gupta shared her personal experience of working close to 100 hours a week and why it doesn’t work.

In a post titled “Choices, Hard Work, and Happiness,” Gupta debunked the idea that long hours mean greater productivity based on his career path.

“I worked 100 hours a week on my first project for four months. Eighteen hours a day, and I was miserable 90% of the time,” Gupta revealed I was even hospitalized. Most importantly, I was at work for maybe 100 hours, but I was not productive during those hours.”

Gupta explained that while hard work is not negotiable for success, it must be consistent. “Hard work does not equal hours worked. A lot of those entry-level career hours were pure facetime. The hard work has to be sustained for us to do it long enough for the complexity to kick in.”

He criticized the inefficiency of a workplace culture that rewards appearance over output. he wrote, citing his team’s use of AI to reduce grunt work.

For Gupta, the debate should also touch on mental health and family responsibilities, which are often overlooked in such discussions period, I am exhausted, even with benefits and support,” he noted.

He urged organizations to create cultures where people are inspired to perform at their best, rather than forced to overwork . It’s easier to inspire people to give their best,” said Gupta.

His post ended on a hopeful note. “As we contribute to India’s growth, let us strive to be a happy nation, enjoying the fruits of development while building sustainable work-life relationships. Happiness and progress go hand in hand.”