Should Indian Youth Work 70 Hours A Week? Narayana Murthy's Suggestion Ignites Debate On X

NR Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, has raised his expectations for India's young workforce in terms of productivity. He believes that young Indians should commit to working a minimum of 70 hours per week if the country wishes to compete with emerging economies. The billionaire tech founder made similar comments earlier when he suggested 60 hours per week, which he shared in an interview with a news channel three years ago to help revive the Indian economy during a period of economic slowdown caused by the first wave of COVID-19.

It was in 2020, Murthy expressed that India needed to adapt to living with the coronavirus for 12-18 months, necessitating increased work hours and precautions from companies to steer the economy back on track. Now, three years later, he has added 10 hours more and recommended the work hours to 70 per week.

He made these comments during an episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record.' In this discussion, Murthy addressed various topics, including nation-building, technology, Infosys, and his perspective on the youth of today.

In a conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, Murthy said that Indian youth have a habit of picking up "not-so-desirable habits from the West" and not helping the country. He added that unless India improves its work productivity and reduces corruption in the government, it will not be able to compete with other countries that have made tremendous progress.

Murthy also said that Indian youth should be willing to work 70 hours a week, and that they need to be disciplined and improve their work productivity. He added that the government is only as good as the culture of the people, and that India's culture needs to change to that of a highly determined, extremely disciplined, and extremely hard-working people.

However, Murthy's remarks triggered a debate on social media, with some expressing concerns about salary disparities at different levels and the need for better compensation. However, others defended his viewpoint, considering India's growth a top priority. They pointed out that the demanding startup culture in India already calls for extended working hours.

Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder of Ola Cabs, supported Murthy's perspective and emphasised the importance of dedicating oneself to building a strong nation in a single generation.

Some entrepreneurs disagreed with the notion of working longer hours, asserting that the focus should be on enhancing skills, creating a positive work environment, and ensuring fair compensation for quality work. They believe that the quality of work should take precedence over the number of hours worked.

Another user wrote,''Isn't this modern slavery?.''