Narayana Murthy on the issue of working 70 hours a week: In recent months, NR Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of India’s second-largest IT company Infosys, has been in considerable discussion.
In fact, he had suggested working 70 hours a week, which became a topic of debate. Some presented their views in favor of the Infosys co-founder’s statement, while others opposed it. Now, clarifying the matter, Narayana Murthy has stated that he has no regrets about his statement.
We need to be more productive
Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy said during an exclusive interview with Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today. He mentioned that he has no regrets about his previous statement and clarified that he doesn’t think 70 hours are crucial; rather, it implies the need for greater productivity.
Narayana Murthy also emphasized that individuals benefiting from government schemes should contribute more to societal welfare by putting in additional effort.
Co-founder of Infosys provides an example
Clarifying his statement of working 70 hours a week, Narayana Murthy has said that before retiring, he used to work 85-90 hours every week.
Illustrating with an example, he mentioned that he received a scholarship from the government even before university in 1961. All my friends in engineering college received significant concessions in their fees from the government.
Therefore, I have always believed that those of us who have benefited so much from the country and its taxpayers have a responsibility to contribute more towards improving the lives of the poor in India.
Sudha Murthy said, “Take joy in your work.
During the interview, when Narayana Murthy was asked about his statement advocating 70-hour work weeks, he affirmed his stand but added that he didn’t think his statement was crucial.
Sudha Murthy commented that, for both of them, working at least 70 hours has always been a pleasure. She emphasized the importance of enjoying one’s work, being passionate about it, and considering work as a break.
What was the statement about 70 hours of work?
The 70-hour work statement by Narayana Murthy, made in October 2023 on a podcast, suggested that Indian youth need to work extra hours to compete with countries like China due to lower productivity.
He proposed that the youth should work up to 70 hours a week, drawing parallels with Japan and Germany post the Second World War. This statement sparked a global debate, leading to criticism of Narayana Murthy.
