Narayana Murthy Doubles Down On 70-Hour Work Week Advice; Netizens Compare It To Slavery

Infosys co-founder and billionaire techpreneur NR Narayana Murthy doubled down on his controversial 70-hour work week advice in his recent remark at the Indian Chamber of Commerce centenary launch in Kolkata. He argued that 800 million Indians get free rations; ergo, 800 million are still in poverty. Murthy emphasized,

If we are not in the position of working hard, then who will?”

The 78-year-old, who has a net worth of Rs 540 crore, was speaking alongside another jingoist capitalist comrade, Sanjiv Goekna, the chairman of RPSG Group. Murthy stated that at Infosys he challenged the techies to compare with the best global companies. He quipped,

Once we compare ourselves with the best global companies, I can tell you we Indians have a lot to do.”

Speaking of the stark contrast between the Nehruvian socialism that led to the inception of IITs in India and his encounter with the country’s image in Paris, where he worked in the 1970s, Murthy jibed that the West spoke about how India was filthy and corrupt. He further laid emphasis on entrepreneurship and the role of entrepreneurs in job creation. He remarked, “If a country embraces capitalism, it will create good roads, good trains, and good infrastructure.”

#Infosys co-founder #NarayanaMurthy has reiterated his stance on the importance of a 70-hour #workweek, urging young people to embrace hard work for the betterment of India.

Read more: https://t.co/cjjajjzFl0 pic.twitter.com/dfNHeNXzlS
— Mint (@livemint) December 16, 2024

Narayana Murthy Explains Why He Wants 70-Hour Workweek, Again https://t.co/YR52pbluk5 #NarayanaMurthy pic.twitter.com/AGXtuSJH5H
— NDTV (@ndtv) December 15, 2024

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has once again defended his 70-hour workweek suggestion as he pointed out that for India to compete with the West, we will have to work hard. Murthy, who was in Kolkata for the Indian Chamber of Commerce centenary launch, argued that “Indians… pic.twitter.com/1METqufgk8
— Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) December 16, 2024

Reactions poured in with the internet taking a dig at the Infosys founder, who recently bought a luxury property in Bengaluru worth Rs 50 crore. One netizen remarked, “Start paying your employees on a per-hour basis, and they will work harder.” Others compared his suggestion to plantation owners who employed slaves and did with them as they fancied.