A consequence?

Dr Sridhar Pai, a marriage counsellor, says, "You will notice that many couples in the cities today prefer not to have children early on in their marriage. This is either because they keep such long hours, or because they decide to concentrate on stabilising their careers first."

Mamta, 28, an advertising professional, says, "I have been working for ten years now. I work very long hours -- from 9 am to about 9 or 10 pm, sometimes longer. My husband works, who works with a television channel keeps irregular and just as long hours. It would be unfair to bring in a child with our lifestyle. We do want children, but I don't know when that will happen."