'We chase comfort': CEO's rant on ‘too many’ holidays in India reignites work-life balance debate
An Indian CEO argued that India's overload of public holidays is detrimental to productivity.
A CEO hit out at the "overload of public and optional holidays" in India, arguing that they bring work to a standstill and hurt productivity in India. Ravikumar Tummalacharla, founder and CEO of Cleanrooms Containments, a bio containment company, claimed that "too many holidays" are negatively impacting work in India.
Tummalacharla cited a list of public and optional holidays in April to claim that frequent non-working days are hurting the overall productivity of Indian professionals.
"Too many holidays, no work moving! The overload of public and optional holidays, combined with weekends, often brings work to a standstill. In just April 2025, we've had 10+ holidays, and most offices are seeing no file movement for weeks," he wrote in a long post on LinkedIn, attaching a list of holidays in April 2025.
The Hyderabad-based CEO added that this holiday culture could negatively impact India's international credibility. Check out his post here.
'Rethink holiday culture’
"China is 60 years ahead because they prioritise economic momentum. In India, we often migrate abroad in search of smoother systems and faster processes. It is time to rethink our holiday culture and strike a better balance," he said, urging PM Modi and Labour Ministry to take steps to reassess frequent holidays in India.
His post sparked a debate on LinkedIn, with many users calling out the CEO for including optional holidays and even weekends to drive his point home and overlooking work-life balance.
"It's unfair to compare India and China without considering their different social and political contexts. We need solutions that work for India's unique needs. Rather than seeing holidays as a hindrance, we should explore how they can be better managed to minimise disruption to work," one user suggested
‘We chase comfort and still complain’
After his post was flooded with comments from users opposing his view, the CEO doubled down and asked those opposing him to think like job creators.
"Once you run an organisation, your lens shifts. Our elders fought for food and shelter. We chase comfort and still complain. We say there are no jobs, yet when there are, how many respect time and the 8-hour workday? I’m not saying work 70 hours. But too much ease dulls potential. Growth comes from challenge and purpose," he said.
Replying to those suggesting AI solutions for when manpower is not available, he said that AI can’t build roads, guard borders or treat patients as India still runs on "people who work through holidays so others can rest."
"So I asked: Are we overdoing holidays? Do we reflect on the values behind them, or just enjoy long weekends? Let’s ask not just “what do I get?” — but “what do I give?” India needs more contributors, not just critics," he added.
