Larsen & Toubro Chairman and Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan has clarified his controversial remark about employees working on Sundays, saying the statement was made casually and in response to concerns over project delays.
Client Concerns Prompted Remark
“There were serious issues on my mind. Five or six clients, including some very high-profile ones, personally spoke to me, called me, sent emails about our progress. I was worried because we were struggling to mobilize staff and labour, and work was not happening the way it should. Despite my involvement, projects were not moving. It was not good to be called out at that level. It doesn’t reflect well on me or the organization,” Subrahmanyan told MoneyControl.
He explained that his response during a conversation was casual, but the recording of that interaction was against rules.
“When one gentleman asked me the question, I spoke casually, but it (recording the conversation) went against the rules as there was a statutory warning of no recording. On hindsight I could have answered differently. Normally I speak in an easy manner, that’s my style. But I acknowledge I could have spoken differently. My wife also felt bad because her name got involved.”
“Performance is Our Oxygen”
The L&T chief admitted that the episode had weighed on him. “It has not been easy. It has preyed on my mind. But what happened, happened. I cannot withdraw it now. If a similar question comes in a similar mood, maybe I’ll answer differently. There was a bad background then — performance was poor. And performance is our oxygen. When it goes wrong, things come out in that manner. Maybe it could have come out differently.”
Last month, L&T’s annual report revealed that Subrahmanyan’s remuneration had risen by nearly 50% in fiscal 2025. He received Rs 76.25 crore compared to Rs 51.05 crore in the previous year, largely due to stock options exercised during the year.