Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is receiving strong backlash after informing corporate leaders that India draws higher foreign investment than nations like Pakistan because domestic employees refuse to quit at five o'clock and never request weekend breaks.
During a speech at the India-Netherlands Business Forum in The Hague on October 27, Goyal stated, "Indians want to work hard. Nobody in India will tell you it's five o'clock. And certainly no Indian will ever remind you it's the weekend." A video clip of his speech quickly spread online.
He further stated that India provides "economies of scale" capable of helping businesses expand "into a dimension you probably can never even imagine."
Goyal Was Pitching India to Dutch Investors
Goyal delivered these statements during a trip to Germany and the Netherlands designed to draw foreign funding. He shared leadership of the business forum, which featured about 200 corporate delegates, and held talks with executives from Ingka Group, the parent company of IKEA, along with ASML, Nexperia, and Power2X.
He encouraged Dutch firms to "invest, co-manufacture and co-innovate in India" across fields including green hydrogen, semiconductors, renewable energy, manufacturing, logistics, and food processing.
India continues aggressive efforts to secure European investment and stands to receive EU trade advantages that might disadvantage Pakistan.
Overworking?
The statements sparked immediate anger across Indian social media platforms. Numerous citizens blamed the minister for marketing the country's workforce as cheap, obedient labor instead of qualified experts.
An X user stated, "A minister just pitched Indian workers as people who have surrendered the right to rest," noting that the International Labour Organization lists India among the hardest-working countries globally.
Karti Chidambaram, a leader of the Congress party, described Goyal's comments as "ridiculous to tout our lack of professional work hour boundaries as strength."
The official's statements have restarted ongoing discussions in India regarding work-life balance.
Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, faced similar backlash in 2023 for encouraging young citizens to work 70 hours weekly, while SN Subrahmanyan, Chairman of L&T, subsequently advocated for 90-hour workweeks encompassing Sundays.
