Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy faced criticism on social media over his recent request to youngsters of the country to work for 70 hours a week to increase India's productivity.
During a conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai in the first episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record,' Murthy said that youngsters should put in additional hours at work for India to compete with leading economies.
"India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity...we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress," he said, adding, "So therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, 'This is my country. I'd like to work 70 hours a week."
His remarks did not go down well with a section of social media users who criticized him for promoting an "overwork culture."
An X user said "overwork" gave him a heart attack at the age of 38. "Overwork gave me a Heart Attack at 38. And a lifetime dependency on medicines! Please don't listen to these people. Bloodsucking leeches who sit on their high chairs giving lectures," the user said.
"Delete Sundays from calendar. We must sacrifice everything to make billionaire businessmen richer & richer. If the rich are happy, then we are proud, right?," said anther.
Popular author Chetan Bhagat pointed out that one can work 35 hours a week and still achieve a lot. "But make those 35 hours really, really count. You can still achieve a lot. A lot of people spend long hours supposedly “working” but no real productive work is happening," he wrote.
He also asked youngsters to work for themselves.
Work hard. 70 80 90 whatever hours per week. But on yourself and your whole overall life. Merely slaving away in a job with no overall strategic plan, purpose and direction for your life will only end up in you getting used by some capitalist. Work damn hard. But for yourself.
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 27, 2023
"Life’s hard. You meet a girl, fall in love, get married. Her dad wants you to work 70 hours a week. You can’t work that hard, you just wanna chill and run England," wrote stand-up comic Vir Das.
If you’re working 70 hours a week, 5 days a week, essentially from 9am to 11pm. Getting home by 12.30, leave home by 7.30? You should be allowed to fart in your bosses office. If you’re going to request relationship like time commitment, you’ve got to accept the intimacy too.
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) October 27, 2023
Murthy also found support from a section of users, including Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO, Ola Cabs, who wrote: "Totally agree with Mr Murthy's views. It's not our moment to work less and entertain ourselves. Rather it's our moment to go all in and build in 1 generation what other countries have built over many generations!"
"I wholeheartedly endorse Mr. Narayan Murthy's statement. It's not about burnout, it's about dedication. We have to make India an economic superpower that we can all be proud of in India 2047. A 5-day week culture is not what a rapidly developing nation of our size needs," Sajjan Jindal, chairman, JSW Group, said.
