Wading into the '70 hours work a week' controversy, RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka, on Monday, observed that the work culture everywhere is changing fast.
In a remark that polarized social media, Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy had recently urged young people to work 70 hours a week to boost the country's productivity. While a section of people slammed Murthy for promoting 'overwork culture', there were also a few, like OLA CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, who agreed with him.
Goenka seemed to be suggesting a middle path as he said in a tweet on X that "It's no longer about working 50 or 70 hours, but about your own ambition, your purpose, and your productivity."
Goenka claimed that the five-day office week is "dead" and observed that people are working nearly 33 per cent of their office time remotely. Calling hybrid work culture "a game changer", he said "Flexibility is worth as much to people as an 8% raise. What we value most is skipping the daily commute and the sense of flexibility!"
Hybrid work is the present and the future, he said, adding, "It's all about blending office and remote work to suit your needs."
"Embrace the shift, adapt to the new work landscape, and find your sweet spot between office and home. It's time to prioritize what truly matters in your work life!," he said.
Murthy, during a conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai for the inaugural episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record, had said, "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. So, therefore, I request that our youngsters must say, 'This is my country. I'd like to work 70 hours a week."
