'Work weekends' to counter Trump tariffs? Founder's suggestion stirs debate
What's the story
Samir Arora, the founder of Helios Capital Management, has sparked a debate over India's economic resilience. He suggested that India could offset the potential impact of US President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs by simply working on weekends for a few weeks. In a tweet, Arora shared a "thought experiment" about what would happen if India's exports to the US fell by 10%.
Economic impact
Arora's 'thought experiment'
Arora's tweet explained that a 10% drop in exports would mean a loss of 0.2% for India. He further elaborated, "GDP growth is 6% odd. So to recover 0.2% should take 12 days." He then suggested that working on Saturdays and Sundays for six weeks could help recover the lost ground, saying, "Get on it, boys and gals."
Public response
Narayana Murthy effect?
Arora's tweet, which was likely meant as a light-hearted take on economic resilience, drew mixed reactions online. Some netizens jokingly referred to it as the "Narayana Murthy effect," after Infosys founder Narayana Murthy's recent controversial statement asking Indian youth to work 70 hours a week. Others criticized Arora's suggestion, saying "this is fantasy math, not economics."
Economic critique
Critics emphasize far-reaching impact of tariffs
Critics of Arora's suggestion emphasized that tariffs have a far-reaching impact on supply chains, margins, competitiveness, and employment in export-heavy sectors. They argued that you can't "make up" lost demand by working Saturdays and that trade flows are permanently shifted by tariffs. One user even compared the idea to fixing a heart attack by jogging faster.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Arora's post
Thought experiment
— Samir Arora (@Iamsamirarora) July 31, 2025
India exports to USA are 2 pct odd of GDP. If they fall 10 pct, India loses 0.2 pct
Gdp growth is 6 pct odd. So to recover 0.2 pct should take 12 days.
Can recover to pre tariff levels by working on Saturdays and Sundays for 6 weeks.
Get on it, boys and…