Narayana Murthy's '70-hour work week' backlash meets surprising support from 'Western friends and NRIs'

In a recent interview with CNBC-TV18, Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy reaffirmed his advocacy for a 70-hour work week, defending his stance amidst considerable public debate. Murthy, alongside his wife Sudha Murty, highlighted the necessity for hard work in India, referencing professions like farming and factory work that demand extensive labor.

Responding to criticism, Murthy expressed his rationale, stating, "A lot of my western friends, NRIs, and individuals from India were supportive of my advice." He emphasized the significance of hard work, citing the toil of less privileged citizens and the responsibility of educated individuals to contribute substantially.



“If anybody that has performed much better than me in their own field, not necessarily in my field, I would respect, I would call them, and I would say, where do you think I was wrong in saying this? But I didn't find it,” Narayana Murthy said when asked about his 70-hour work week advice.

“A lot of my western friends, a lot of NRIs, a lot of good people in India called me, and without exception, they were all very happy (with my advice),” the Infosys founder added.

He justified his advice, saying that we have to work hard in this country because the poor farmer works very hard.

“You know, the poor factory worker works very hard. So, therefore, those of us who received education at a huge discount, thanks to the subsidy from the government for all these education, owe it to the less fortunate citizens of India to work extremely hard,” he noted.

Sudha Murty reinforced this viewpoint, drawing from her family's experience, noting her father's and sister's rigorous work hours, along with Murthy's own commitment of 90-hour work weeks. Murthy himself detailed his longstanding work routine, underlining that he always practiced what he preached.

“My sister is a doctor. She also works more than 70 hours. Narayana Murthy has worked 90 hours a week,” she said.

Highlighting his past professional life, Murthy reiterated his dedication to 70-hour work weeks and shed light on the period until 1994, when Infosys functioned six days a week, pushing his work hours to 85-90 per week.

Previously, during a podcast with former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai, Murthy had urged Indian youth to embrace a 70-hour work week, a sentiment that found both support and criticism within industry circles and beyond due to its implications for work-life balance.