"No big achievement can come with work-life balance, and I am not saying it is not a choice you should not make - it is a personal choice. But as a country, we have to go a long way," Shah said, adding that India has already taken the Western concept of a "chill life" before becoming a developed country.

Shah's remarks come days after Infosys founder Narayana Murthy sparked a debate after he urged youngsters to work 70 hours a week to boost India's overall productivity.

Similarly, Shah stated, "We see an extraordinary execution (in China). It's called the 996 culture -- 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. And you see that progress. We cannot have the ambition of being a $10-20 trillion economy and still expect that life should be chill."

A number of founders and leaders have expressed their views on Murthy's 70-hour-a-week work call -- some agreeing, while some opposing.

Anupam Mittal, founder of Shadi.com, shared a selfie with his fellow judges of Shark Tank India in his latest post on X, saying that "after all these years, still working 70-hour weeks".

RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka has disagreed with Murthy's view. In a post on X, Goenka wrote, "The 5-day office week is dead! People are working nearly 33 per cent of their office time remotely, and it's a game-changer. Flexibility is worth as much to people as an 8 per cent raise."

"Hybrid work is the present and the future. It's all about blending office and remote work to suit your needs. It's no longer about working 50 or 70 hours, but about your own ambition, your purpose, and your productivity," he added. IANS/KB