Narayana Murthy defends 70-hour workweek concept again, calls on youth to work hard

New Delhi, Dec 16: Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has reiterated the call to work 70-hour a week, urging young people in India to work hard for the country’s growth. Murthy first suggested the idea of a 70-hour work week in 2023 to boost the country’s growth. While he invited widespread criticism from people and doctors, the concept was hailed by many including Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal.

Murthy, during his recent visit to Kolkata, said that the younger generation needs to realise that they have to “work hard and work towards making India number one.” He emphasised the need for Indians to strive for excellence. "At Infosys, I said we will go to the best and compare ourselves with the best global companies. Once we compare ourselves with the best global companies, I can tell you we Indians have a lot to do" Murthy said, speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce's centenary launch alongside RPSG Group Chairman Sanjiv Goenka.

“We have to set our aspirations high because 800 million Indians get free ration. That means 800 million Indians are in poverty. If we are not in a position to work hard, then who will work hard?” he added. Murthy said that he “realised the only way a country can fight poverty is by creating jobs that lead to disposable incomes. The government has absolutely no role in entrepreneurship”. He stressed that entrepreneurs play a crucial role in building nations by creating wealth and generating employment.

"Entrepreneurs build a nation as they create jobs, they create wealth for their investors and they pay taxes. Therefore, if a country embraces capitalism, it will create good roads, good trains, and good infrastructure," he said. His comments come amid concerns of workplace stress faced by young Indians, resulting in the loss of lives of many. Health experts have also warned of severe consequences of working long hours that may not only be detrimental to the physical and mental health of the employees but may also have serious effects on their personal and social relationships.