'Need to build with ambition'—Harsh Goenka backs 90-hour work week
What's the story
RPG Enterprises Chairman, Harsh Goenka, has backed Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal amid the raging debate on India's start-up ecosystem. This comes after Goenka supported L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's controversial 90-hour work week suggestion and Narayana Murthy's 70-hour work week remark. Goenka clarified that Subrahmanyan, Murthy, and Goyal were not being literal but "directional" in their statements. He emphasized that the aim isn't to glorify burnout but to shift the national mindset toward hard work and long-term value creation.
Strategic sectors
Goenka's vision for India's global competitiveness
In the wake of the ongoing global tariff war, Goenka emphasized that India needs to build with ambition to take on the US and China. He highlighted robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy as key sectors that are critical for India's long-term growth. His remarks came on X, where he highlighted the need to shift from ease to effort in our national mindset.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Goenka's post
When Murthy and Subrahmanyan spoke of 70-90 hour work weeks and Piyush Goyal questioned startups making vegan ice creams and chasing 10-minute deliveries, they weren’t being literal—they were being directional.
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) April 5, 2025
They were asking: what are we really building?
If India wants to…
Entrepreneurial landscape
Goyal's criticism of Indian start-ups
Speaking at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025 event, Union Minister Piyush Goyal slammed a few Indian billionaires' kids for launching ice cream and cookies businesses. He said these entrepreneurs should concentrate on technological growth, not consumer goods. Goyal contrasted Indian start-ups with their Chinese counterparts, implying the latter are at the forefront of innovation while Indian start-ups are only concentrating on food delivery and gig work.
Rebuttal
Start-up founders defend their position
Start-up founders, including Aadit Palicha of Zepto, Ashneer Grover, and Anupam Mittal, came to their businesses' defense against Goyal's criticism. Palicha emphasized that Zepto has generated over 1.5 lakh jobs, pays over ₹1,000 crore in taxes every year, and has brought over $1 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) into India. He termed these accomplishments a "miracle in Indian innovation" and asked the government to support, not criticize.