Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has once again backed his call for a 70-hour work week. The statement that caused a global stir and became one of the most talked phrase in 2023-24, is once again in headers due to the explanation given by NR Murthy. While speaking at an event, he suggested that young professionals in India should be willing to work 70 hours a week to meet the global competition.
Comparing the Indian workforce with the global working culture, Murthy said, "we have to work hard and work towards making India number one".
He was speaking at the centenary celebration of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in West Bengal's Kolkata. During his conversation with RPSG Group chairman Sanjiv Goenka, he refreshed his 70-hour work week comments.
He further asked to compare the Indians with the best global companies and said, "We have a lot to do."
"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?" a report by NDTV quoted Narayan Murthy's statement.
The 70-hour work week call is not taken well by the youth and working class sector of the society and questions related to work-life balance rose. However, the Infosys co-founder had previously shared his opinion on the same and said he does not agree with the idea of "work-life balance."