Narayana Murthy‘s 70-hpour work week had triggered debates and met with brick-bats and flowers, wherein several business owners agreed with the need for increased productivity and some debated with adequate compensation. 

Narayana Murthy had in an interview with Infosys’s former chief financial officer Mohandas Pai had said that India’s workforce would need to increase their productivity in order to compete with countries like Japan and China. 

“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, my request is that our youngsters must say ‘this is my country. I’d like to work 70 hours a week,” Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy had said.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Congress MP Komati Venkata Reddy, Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s Manne Srinivas Reddy and Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju of the YSR Congress Party in an unstarred question to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, asked, “Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state: Whether the Government is evaluating the 70 hour work proposal made by Infosys co-founder?”

The three politicians further said, “…if so, the details thereof and the stand of the Government in this regard as compared to working hours in foreign countries set out in the International and basic principles?”

Rameswar Teli, the minister of state (MoS) for labour and employment, replied,” No such proposal is under consideration of Government of India”, the HT report added. 

Narayana Murthy had said that unless India’s youth commit to putting more working hours, the country will not struggle to catch up with economies that have seen remarkable progress over the past few decades.

Narayana Murthy‘s statement had found several taker including Congress MP Manish Tiwari. “If India has to truly become a great power one or even two generations have to make 70 hours a week their work ethic. 70 hours a week with one day off & 15 days of vacations in one year must become the norm,” former Union Minister Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said.

Earlier, JSW Chairman Sajjan Jindal had also supported Narayana Murthy’s remarks. “I wholeheartedly endorse Narayana 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,” Jindal had said.

Agreeing with Narayana Murthy, Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal had said, “Totally agree with Narayana 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!”

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Updated: 04 Dec 2023, 10:50 PM IST