SN Subrahmanyan, Chairman and Managing Director of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), has emphasized the company’s strategic focus on leveraging a new generation of employees to drive innovation, agility, and long-term relevance.
In a recent interview with The Economic Times, Subrahmanyan outlined how younger professionals are bringing fresh perspectives to L&T’s evolving business portfolio, helping the conglomerate navigate complex transitions across infrastructure, technology, and emerging sectors.
“We’re leveraging a new generation of employees who bring fresh perspectives,” Subrahmanyan said, adding that their adaptability and digital fluency are critical to L&T’s transformation journey.
The company is actively reshaping its leadership pipeline to include younger, tech-savvy professionals capable of responding to dynamic market conditions.
L&T Workforce Strategy Aligned with Business Transformation
L&T, a ₹4.85 lakh crore engineering and infrastructure giant, is undergoing a bold restructuring of its business portfolio.
The group is exiting legacy verticals such as ports, airports, and electrical switchgear, while doubling down on high-growth areas like semiconductors, green hydrogen, data centres, and real estate.
Subrahmanyan explained that younger employees are more inclined toward sectors like IT, retail, and digital services, which align with L&T’s pivot toward technology-driven businesses.
“Construction work doesn’t appeal to younger generations the way it used to,” he noted, acknowledging the need to make core engineering roles more attractive through innovation and purpose-driven projects.
The company is also investing in leadership development and internal mobility to ensure that emerging talent is nurtured across functions.
This includes rotational assignments, digital upskilling, and exposure to strategic initiatives.
“Grow to Sell, Sell to Grow”: A Pragmatic Business Philosophy
Subrahmanyan reiterated L&T’s guiding philosophy of “grow to sell, sell to grow,” which involves scaling businesses until they are ripe for monetization or exiting underperforming units to reallocate capital.
This approach has already led to divestments such as the sale of its electrical switchgear business to Schneider Electric and its renewable energy assets to ReNew Power.
The company is now seeding growth in four frontier areas: real estate, semiconductors, green energy, and data centres.
These sectors are expected to attract younger professionals who are motivated by innovation, sustainability, and impact.
In real estate, for example, L&T has developed over 75 million square feet of residential and commercial space, with plans to reach 100 million square feet in the coming year.
The transformation began with the strategic repurposing of land in Powai, Mumbai, and has since evolved into one of India’s largest self-development initiatives.
Balancing Ambition with Execution
Subrahmanyan’s remarks come amid broader debates on work culture and productivity.
Earlier this year, he stirred controversy by advocating for longer workweeks, including Sundays, to achieve “extraordinary outcomes.”
While the comments sparked mixed reactions, L&T later clarified that the chairman’s intent was to inspire commitment and national progress.
“At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate,” the company stated. “We believe this is India’s decade, and it demands collective dedication and effort.”
The emphasis on younger talent fits into this narrative, positioning L&T as a forward-looking organization that values both experience and fresh thinking.
By integrating generational diversity into its workforce strategy, the company aims to remain competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing global environment.
Note: We are also on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and YouTube to get the latest news updates. Subscribe to our Channels. WhatsApp– Click Here, YouTube – Click Here, and LinkedIn– Click Here.
