Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy said that India's work culture needs to evolve and young people should be prepared to put in 70 hours a week if the country has to compete efficiently in the international arena.
Speaking on the first edition of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record', Murthy emphasized how urgent it is to improve India's work productivity. The 77-year-old said that India would find it difficult to catch up to economies that have made tremendous strides in the last few decades unless its youth commit to working long hours.
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Murthy points out India's lacklustre work productivity
In conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, Murthy highlighted India's dismal work productivity, which is among the lowest in the world. He mentioned Germany and Japan as examples, highlighting how they fixed a culture of long hours and dedication after World War II to aid in their recovery and close the gap with nations like China.
The business magnate also spoke about other barriers to India's development, such as ineffective bureaucracy and corrupt government practices. He underlined how important it is to remove these obstacles in order for India to become the global front-runner.
"So, my request is that our youngsters must say, 'this is my country. I would like to work 70 hours a week. India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity, unless we reduce corruption in the government at some level, because we have been reading, I don't know the truth of it, unless we reduce the delays in our bureaucracy in taking this decision, we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress," the Infosys founder said.
Murthy quotes examples of Japan and Germany
Murthy went on to highlight the need for discipline and increased output with several historical examples, like Germany and Japan following World War II. "This is exactly what the Germans and Japanese did after the Second World War... they made sure that every German worked extra hours for a certain number of years," he said on the podcast.
Murthy stated that it is imperative that our youngsters undergo a transformation as they form as they make up a significant majority of India's population and are the ones who can build the country. "We need to be disciplined and improve our work productivity. I think unless we do that, what can poor government do? And every government is as good as the culture of the people. And our culture has to change to that of highly determined, extremely disciplined and extremely hard-working people," he remarked.
Murthy's remarks get mixed reactions
While his comments have generated a lot of conversation around the country regarding the viability of such an extended workweek and its effects on work-life balance, Murthy's call for a change in India's work culture is striking a chord with many who think that a more dedicated and methodical approach is required to advance the country's development.
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