L&T's Intuitive Engineer

How S.N. Subrahmanyan is quietly preparing the engineering-to-tech conglomerate to emulate Siemens' transformation

- V. Keshavdev

ON A HUMID

Ganesh Chaturthi morning, Mumbai hums with excitement as traditional music plays at colourful pandals in every corner. Yet, there’s a distinct calmness in Prabhu Kutir Apartment in the upscale Altamount Road. At 8:30 a.m., S.N. Subrahmanyan (SNS), chairman and CEO of Larsen & Toubro, strides into his 9thfloor office with quiet precision. The office, just below his residence, is a stone’s throw from Antilia, the imposing home of Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man. Though the 63-year-old, dressed in understated formal attire, has to soon board a flight to Germany, his calm demeanour shows no trace of stress from a packed schedule.

SNS often hears from his sons— one a partner at Bain & Company, the other founder of an EV battery start-up in U.S.—about work-life balance, but he views it differently. “I tell them there’s no such thing as work-life balance. It’s all work-work balance,” he says. His fit frame reflects the discipline of a man who thrives on routine. “If I don’t jog every morning, I feel restless,” he says.

This dedication— both personal and professional—has driven SNS’ career at L&T, which he joined in 1984. While A.M. Naik, his predecessor, built the L&T of today, SNS is building the L&T of tomorrow. Founded in 1938 by Danish engineers Henning Holck-Larsen and Søren Kristian Toubro, L&T is now present in sectors its founders could hardly have imagined. While engineering and construction remain its backbone, SNS is steering the company into future industries, from chip design to hydrogen electrolyser manufacturing.

SNS’ approach is encapsulated by his unabashed admiration for his neighbour. “There is God, and then there is Mukeshbhai,” he says. “How can one person create a refinery business, a gas business, a telecom business, a digital business, and now a green energy business in one generation? It’s magnificent.”