New Delhi:

Amid a raging debate in India Inc over 90-hour work week, BharatPe CEO Nalin Negi has said that quality matters more when it comes to measuring outcomes and productivity of employees at workplace, not long hours clocked in, as he emphasised that fintech firm does not have such extreme work hour expectations.

The comment assumes significance as it came at a time when there is a spotlight over gruelling work hour expectations in corporate India, after L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan expressed regret over not being able to make staff work on Sundays.

Mr Negi told PTI in an interview that quality of work is “paramount”, not the number of hours.

“Ninety hours is quite a number of hours to put in, and becomes very difficult. So I would say (it is about) quality… quality matters,” Mr Negi said.

The BharatPe top chief said that the debate around work-life balance has always been around, and that as a young organisation, BharatPe aims to provide a comfortable and enabling setting where employees can put in their best.

“Young organisations can foster career trajectory in a very, very different way, because you have different people. Larger companies have built this over a period of time, they have people and attract talent of a similar nature, (in a) cookie-cutter approach,” he said.

Six-year old BharatPe is looking to build a culture that is not rigid, he asserted.

“We are six years old, and I would definitely like BharatPe to be known as an employee-friendly company, a company that offers careers to people, not jobs. So our focus is on that,” he said.

The company does not believe in a 90-hour work mandate, Mr Negi said, adding “I don’t think…90 hours is possible”.

“A happy employee will give you a lot… someone who is involved and enjoying his or her job, if they have something (urgent), they will do it. You don’t even have to follow it up,” he said.

Earlier this month, Larsen & Toubro Ltd chairman sparked off a debate with his suggestion of a 90-hour workweek, including Sundays, to maximise productivity.

A social media outrage followed with many questioning the fairness and ethics of such an extreme and demanding work model. Public figures across sectors waded in on the debate too, with many prominent voices expressing concern on excessive work hour narrative, while some championed hustle culture.

RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka had taken X to express his reservation about the concept. “Working hard and smart is what I believe in, but turning life into a perpetual office shift? That’s a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential. Well, that’s my view!” he wrote.

90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept! Working hard and smart is what I believe in, but turning life into a perpetual office shift? That’s a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential.… pic.twitter.com/P5MwlWjfrk

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) January 9, 2025

Marico Ltd Chairman Harsh Mariwala too had penned a post on X saying, “Undeniably, hard work is the backbone of success, but it is not about the hours clocked in. It’s about the quality and passion one brings to those hours”.

I feel compelled to share my perspective. Undeniably, hard work is the backbone of success, but it is not about the hours clocked in. It’s about the quality and passion one brings to those hours.

For our youth to be truly engaged and motivated, we need to ensure they are placed…

— Harsh Mariwala (@hcmariwala) January 9, 2025

ITC Ltd Chairman Sanjiv Puri recently said empowering employees to realise their potential and accomplish their jobs well was more important than the number of hours put in.

Issues such as long work hours and work-life balance have been an intense topic of discussion, resurfacing time and again. Earlier, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy had suggested that youngsters should be prepared to work for 70 hours a week to boost productivity.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk too has been a believer in tough working hours. “There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week, Musk had said in a post in 2018.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka on Tuesday took a dig at Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal over his recent spat with comedian Kunal Kamra. Taking to his official X account, Mr Goenka said he uses his Ola if he has to travel from one ‘kamra’ (room) to another.

“If I have to travel close distances, I mean from one ‘kamra’ to another, I use my Ola,” he wrote, tagging Mr Aggarwal and a picture of him sitting on an Ola electric vehicle.
  

If I have to travel close distances, I mean from one ‘kamra’ to another, I use my Ola @bhashpic.twitter.com/wujahVCzR1

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) October 8, 2024

His ‘kamra’ mention was an apparent reference to the surname of the comedian, who last week was engaged in a heated argument with Mr Aggarwal over the situation of Ola service centres.

The argument began when Mr Kamra took to his official X account and posted an image showing a large number of EV scooters being parked at an Ola service centre.

“Do Indian consumers have a voice?  Do they deserve this? Two-wheelers are many daily wage workers’ lifeline… Anyone who has an issue with Ola Electric leave your story below tagging all…,” he wrote.

In another post, he responded to a user who said that Ola has a “pathetic service”.

“Worse is the leader has no reply,” Mr Kamra said.

His post, however, irked Bhavish Aggarwal, who said that it was a “paid tweet” and asked Mr Kamra to “come and help” them out.

“Since you care so much Kunal Kamra, come and help us out! I’ll even pay more than you earned for this paid tweet or from your failed comedy career. Or else sit quiet and let us focus on fixing the issues for the real customers. We’re expanding the service network fast and backlogs will be cleared soon,” the Ola boss wrote on X.

Since you care so much @kunalkamra88, come and help us out! I’ll even pay more than you earned for this paid tweet or from your failed comedy career.

Or else sit quiet and let us focus on fixing the issues for the real customers. We’re expanding service network fast and backlogs… https://t.co/ZQ4nmqjx5q

— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) October 6, 2024

Mr Kamra then responded to Mr Aggarwal’s post.

“Paid tweet, failed comedy career, and sit quietly. Indian businessman at their humble best… If you can prove I am paid for the tweet this or anything else I must’ve said against private companies, I’ll delete all social media and sit quietly forever,” he said.

He also tagged a clip of his standup act last year. “On my failed comedy career here’s a clip from last year when I surprised an audience… Anything else you arrogant, substandard, prick.”

On my failed comedy career here’s a clip from last year when I surprised an audience & opened for Grover…
Anything else you arrogant, substandard, prick @bhashpic.twitter.com/e7bQzVcCrT

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) October 6, 2024

Responding to his tweet, Mr Aggarwal again asked Mr Kamra to come to an Ola service centre.

“Chot lagi? Dard hua? (Did it hurt) Aaja (come to) service centre. Bahut kaam hai (We have a lot of work). I will pay better than your flop shows pay you. Show your audience how much you truly care and whether you’re only gas,” he said.

Kunal Kamra then asked Mr Aggarwal to instead give a “total refund” to anyone who wants to return their Ola EV and who has purchased it in the last four months.

“I don’t need your money. People not being able to get to their workplace need your accountability. Show your customers that you truly care,” he wrote.

Responding to his post, the Ola CEO said they have “enough programs” for their customers if they face service delays.

We have enough programs for our customers if they face service delays. If you were a genuine one, you would have known.

Again, don’t try and back out of this. Come and do some real work rather than armchair criticism. https://t.co/HFFKgsl7d9

— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) October 6, 2024

“If you were a genuine one, you would have known. Again, don’t try and back out of this. Come and do some real work rather than armchair criticism,” he added.

Ola Electric Gets Show Cause Notice

The Central Consumer Protection Authority has issued a show cause notice to Ola Electric for alleged violation of consumer rights, misleading advertisement and unfair trade practices, according to a regulatory filing by the company. The company received the show cause notice by email on October 7, 2024, it said in the filing.

The show cause notice has been issued by the “Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for alleged violation of consumer rights, misleading advertisement and unfair trade practices”, it added.

The shares of Ola Electric Mobility on Monday had plunged steeply over 8%, down 43% from its post-listing peak, as complaints about its flagship electric two-wheelers kept flooding social media. It was the third straight session the EV maker declined.

Ola Electric, which made its stock market debut about two months ago, sold 23,965 vehicles in September, recording a month-on-month decline for the second consecutive month.

Its falling month-on-month sales have seen its market share decline for five straight months to 27% in September, from over 50% in April, according to the data.

The drop in sales comes amid scores of Ola Electric’s flagship S1 series EV scooters reportedly facing issues like malfunctioning hardware and glitching software.

New Delhi:

RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka on Sunday listed 10 expectations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his third term in office.

Listing the expectations on microblogging platform X, Mr Goenka mentioned ‘One Nation, One Election’; Uniform Civil Code; and Agricultural reforms, which he expects should be implemented during PM Modi’s third term.

Also, he expects to see continued efforts to boost the economy through infrastructure and manufacturing, further push in digitalisation and growing India’s global profile, and expansion in healthcare and education, among others.

What do I expect from the third term of PM Modi:

1. One nation one election
2. Uniform Civil Code
3. Agricultural reforms
4. Continued efforts to boost economy through infrastructure & manufacturing
5. Further push digitalisation
6. Expand healthcare & education
7. Job creation…

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) June 2, 2024

Further, Mr Goenka noted that in the third term of PM Modi, job creation along with labour reforms, and greater investments in energy and climate should be a priority.

Since being shared on X, the post has garnered over 55,000 views. Also, several users in the comment section shared their expectations from PM Modi’s third term.

“Major investment in Railway, tax rationalisations for the middle class,” a user wrote.

“How about adding a focus on renewable energy and sustainability? Imagine India leading the world in green tech and clean energy! Plus, more green jobs and a healthier planet for future generations,” another user said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Indian tyre manufacturing company CEAT chairman Harsh Goenka on Saturday shared glimpses of the company’s management team testing its winter tyres near the Arctic Circle.

The industrialist dropped videos and a couple of pictures on X (formerly Twitter), along with a note that revealed that this test was conducted 300 km north of the Arctic Circle at Finland’s Ivalo.

Mr Goenka also revealed that the management team tested these tyres on both external snow as well as the interior snow tunnel, which he had never seen before.

The first frame shows the massive tunnel, covered with a white sheet of snow. The pictures also show countless tyre marks on the floor.

Following that was a clip depicting a car navigating across a slick layer of snow, considered one of the most treacherous surfaces for driving.

The video also shows the management team standing on the side of the sleet-covered road. Another clip shows a car speedily drifting on powdered snow.

The post was concluded with a group picture of the entire CEAT management team.

Sharing the post, Mr Goenka wrote, “CEAT management team while testing winter tyres 300 km north of Arctic Circle at Ivalo, Finland – on external snow as well as an interior snow tunnel (never seen one before).”

Check out the glimpses here:

CEAT management team while testing winter tyres 300 km north of Arctic circle at Ivalo, Finland – on external snow as well as an interior snow tunnel (never seen one before). pic.twitter.com/JFTVGU0I7Z

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) March 23, 2024

A few days back, Harsh Goenka shared a video of Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, addressing the fourth Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Lecture. Mr Goenka was intrigued by the part where Mr Mahindra shared a personal anecdote involving his youngest daughter’s accident to point out that solutions to problems often lie in “your own backyard”

Sharing the video, Mr Goenka wrote, “A lovely story from my friend Anand Mahindra.”

A lovely story from my friend @anandmahindra ???????????? pic.twitter.com/GjlgSqWYs8

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) March 19, 2024

In the clip, Mr Mahindra opened up about the distressing time, when his daughter suffered a hand injury that required microsurgery.

Even though Mr Mahindra sought care from famous surgeons in Paris and London, the successful operation was eventually performed by a surgeon from Mumbai.

“I have told and retold this story because it taught me one powerful lesson: always look for solutions in your backyard before you think that the best solution lies overseas. And how did this affect me and my career? Well, I’m certain that after that, when it came to making big decisions and big bets in business that were based on homegrown technology, I never again lacked the courage to do so,” he said.

Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Group

The Finance Minister’s speech during the Vote on Account exudes confidence that our economy is on track to achieve the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of becoming a ‘developed nation’ (Viksit Bharat) by 2047. The budget last year had significantly increased infrastructure spending alongside multiple welfare schemes. The results of the reforms and investments are now clearly visible with significant strides in various sectors that bolster the nation’s trajectory towards inclusive growth and sustainable development.

Continued focus on infrastructure, with substantial investments in railways, airports, and highways underscores the government’s commitment to strengthen these sectors which are the backbone for economic growth, job creation, and enhanced quality of life. The budget also continues several social welfare measures, crucial for India’s long-term growth, ensuring that development is inclusive and benefits the most vulnerable sections of society. The healthcare initiatives are particularly noteworthy, reflecting the lessons learned during the pandemic and doubling down on the commitment to building a robust public health system. The decision to extend healthcare coverage under Ayushman Bharat to all ASHA and Anganwadi workers will motivate those working at the grassroots and strengthen the primary healthcare ecosystem. The decision to encourage cervical cancer vaccination for young girls will reduce the risks of developing cervical cancer for the 511.4 million women aged 15 and older.

The foresight shown towards technology is commendable. The 1 lakh crore support for technology investments aligns with the nation’s rapidly growing digital economy, unlocking new growth avenues and fostering innovation to cement India’s position as a global leader in the digital space. Strengthening of deep-tech technology for the defence sector will ensure our defence forces are always equipped with the most advanced technologies to meet any future threat.

The agricultural sector, the backbone of the Indian economy, has been getting due attention with 11.8 cr. farmers having received direct financial assistance from PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi so far. The initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity, improve post-harvest marketing and storage infrastructure and better market access will not only boost the sector but also empower millions of farmers. This will go a long way in elevating the rural economy and ensuring food security for India.

The budget makes a strong case for environmental sustainability, aligning with our Net Zero commitment. Viability gap funding for investments in renewable energy, green initiatives, and sustainable urban planning demonstrate our proactive stance on climate change. The proposed rooftop solar investment of 1 crore households will promote grassroot level energy self-sufficiency and also create multiple economic opportunities.

The budget showed continued commitment to simplifying tax structure and removing irritants eg. withdrawal of old outstanding direct tax demands which will bring relief to around one crore small taxpayers. The government’s approach to fiscal management also deserves an applause. Measures to consistently bring down fiscal deficit, aiming at a below 4.5% number by FY26 will ensure economic stability.

Overall, balancing growth with social welfare, modernisation with sustainability, and fiscal prudence with ambitious development goals, the Interim Budget 2024 has ensured that India’s economic juggernaut continues to roll on as we build a prosperous, resilient, and future-ready nation.