Mumbai CEO returns from 16-day digital detox with one humbling realisation
Jairam Sridharan, Managing Director and CEO of Piramal Finance, recounted his experience in a LinkedIn post. He said he had spent more than two weeks focused entirely on family and friends without checking emails, taking work calls, scrolling through social media or following current events.
A Mumbai-based CEO has triggered a conversation on social media after sharing what he discovered upon returning from a 16-day digital detox during which he completely disconnected from work, social media and the news.
Jairam Sridharan, Managing Director and CEO of Piramal Finance, recounted the experience in a LinkedIn post. He said he had spent more than two weeks focused entirely on family and friends without checking emails, taking work calls, scrolling through social media or following current events.
"Returned to 'normal life' yesterday night, after a 16-day break. Per my usual custom, for these 16 days I did not access email, didn't pick up any calls, stayed away from WhatsApp, didn't engage in any social media chatter, didn't watch the news. Basically avoided anything that could remotely bring me back to 'work mode'," he wrote.
Sridharan said he dedicated the period entirely to spending time with loved ones and consciously avoided anything that might pull him back into professional responsibilities.
When he returned, he was greeted by more than 3,000 unread WhatsApp messages, 2,000 unread emails and hundreds of missed calls, including a few from his boss and the company's promoter.
Despite the flood of notifications, one observation stood out.
"Everything in the world has carried on just fine without me," he wrote, listing it as the final takeaway from his time away.
The CEO also noted that the company's month-end processes had come and gone without any disruption during his absence. He mentioned major policy announcements by the Reserve Bank of India, ongoing global conflicts and even the fact that the road outside his home remained dug up.
Among the more personal updates awaiting him was news that a friend had gone through a distressing life event while he was away.
Reflecting on the experience, Sridharan acknowledged that disconnecting entirely comes with trade-offs but argued that the benefits outweighed the costs.
"Device and interruption-free time does entail some costs, some sacrifices. But the ability to be 100% present with your family for two weeks? Priceless," he wrote.
Several professionals replied to the post saying that it highlighted the importance of setting boundaries in an increasingly connected world.
"Yes, unplugging has a cost, but it's measurable and recoverable. The benefits, on the other hand, are intangible and irreplaceable," one user commented, adding: "Maybe the real lesson is not just taking these breaks once in a while, but normalising boundaries even in 'regular mode'."
Another praised Jairam Sridharan's commitment to stepping away from work. "Sixteen days off the grid takes real conviction at the MD/CEO level — respect! The best lesson here: the world doesn't pause, but it also doesn't need us as much as we think. Point 10 is the most humbling - and liberating!"
But one person said the post offered a valuable leadership lesson: "What strikes me most is the meta-lesson buried in point 10 - the world carried on just fine. That's not humbling; that's proof of leverage. The goal isn't to be indispensable to the day-to-day. It's to be irreplaceable to the direction. Rare CEO who actually lives that distinction."
What is your take on this?
A Mumbai-based CEO has triggered a conversation on social media after sharing what he discovered upon returning from a 16-day digital detox during which he completely disconnected from work, social media and the news.
Jairam Sridharan, Managing Director and CEO of Piramal Finance, recounted the experience in a LinkedIn post. He said he had spent more than two weeks focused entirely on family and friends without checking emails, taking work calls, scrolling through social media or following current events.
"Returned to 'normal life' yesterday night, after a 16-day break. Per my usual custom, for these 16 days I did not access email, didn't pick up any calls, stayed away from WhatsApp, didn't engage in any social media chatter, didn't watch the news. Basically avoided anything that could remotely bring me back to 'work mode'," he wrote.
Sridharan said he dedicated the period entirely to spending time with loved ones and consciously avoided anything that might pull him back into professional responsibilities.
When he returned, he was greeted by more than 3,000 unread WhatsApp messages, 2,000 unread emails and hundreds of missed calls, including a few from his boss and the company's promoter.
Despite the flood of notifications, one observation stood out.
"Everything in the world has carried on just fine without me," he wrote, listing it as the final takeaway from his time away.
The CEO also noted that the company's month-end processes had come and gone without any disruption during his absence. He mentioned major policy announcements by the Reserve Bank of India, ongoing global conflicts and even the fact that the road outside his home remained dug up.
Among the more personal updates awaiting him was news that a friend had gone through a distressing life event while he was away.
Reflecting on the experience, Sridharan acknowledged that disconnecting entirely comes with trade-offs but argued that the benefits outweighed the costs.
"Device and interruption-free time does entail some costs, some sacrifices. But the ability to be 100% present with your family for two weeks? Priceless," he wrote.
Several professionals replied to the post saying that it highlighted the importance of setting boundaries in an increasingly connected world.
"Yes, unplugging has a cost, but it's measurable and recoverable. The benefits, on the other hand, are intangible and irreplaceable," one user commented, adding: "Maybe the real lesson is not just taking these breaks once in a while, but normalising boundaries even in 'regular mode'."
Another praised Jairam Sridharan's commitment to stepping away from work. "Sixteen days off the grid takes real conviction at the MD/CEO level — respect! The best lesson here: the world doesn't pause, but it also doesn't need us as much as we think. Point 10 is the most humbling - and liberating!"
But one person said the post offered a valuable leadership lesson: "What strikes me most is the meta-lesson buried in point 10 - the world carried on just fine. That's not humbling; that's proof of leverage. The goal isn't to be indispensable to the day-to-day. It's to be irreplaceable to the direction. Rare CEO who actually lives that distinction."
What is your take on this?
