‘Who Will Work Hard’: Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy Defends 70-Hour Workweek To Battle Poverty

Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy defended his statement that Indian youngsters should work for a minimum of 70 hours per week if the country wanted to compete with emerging economies. Murthy said young people need to understand that "we have to work hard and work towards making India number one".

“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. 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?” Murthy was quoted as saying by NDTV. 

Murthy made these remarks during his Kolkata visit, which he described as "the most cultured place in the entire country.” The Infosys founder reflected on his early years as a Leftist during Jawaharlal Nehru's time as Prime Minister, a period that saw the establishment of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). He shared his experience of working in Paris in the early 1970s, where he encountered a starkly different viewpoint on India's development.

"My father used to talk about the extraordinary progress that was happening in the country at the time and we were all sold on Nehru and socialism. I had the opportunity to work in Paris in the early 70s and I was confused. The West was talking about how filthy and corrupt India was. In my country there was poverty and the roads had potholes," he said. 

"Everyone there was reasonably prosperous, trains ran on time, and I thought this can't be wrong. I met the leader of the French Communist Party and he answered all my questions, but not to my satisfaction. I 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 added.

Murthy’s remarks on 70 hours per week earlier stirred a controversy on social media. The Infosys founder made the remarks during an interview with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai for the first edition of 3one4 Capital's podcast "The Record.”

"Somehow our youth has the habit of taking not-so-desirable habits from the West, and then… not helping the country. India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. So therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, this is my country, I’d like to work 70 hours a week," he said.