Narayana Murthy pitches 72-hr work week again, backs China's 9-9-6 rule; follow Europe's 10-5-5 rule, say irked netizens

Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy has ignited a fierce debate on work-life balance once again, with the 79-year-old urging Indian employees to follow a 72-hour work week.

Murthy, in an interview with Republic TV's Arnab Goswami, not just highlighted the need for Indians to work 72 hours a week, but also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi worked 100 hours a week, presenting the PM as an example that young professionals should follow.

In the interview, Goswami asked Murthy a question on "work-life balance" terming it as a "Gen Z question".

"I'm a millennial but I'll ask a Gen Z question—you never thought about work life balance?," the Republic TV editor asked the Infosys co-founder, asking for an honest response.

"Let me start with what one of my friends, who was also one of India's very successful corporate leaders, said... that gentleman gave a brilliant answer. He said, 'Sir, first we should all get a life then we should worry about work life balance'," was the Murthy's response.

"...The need of the country is to ensure that those of us who god has smiled upon should work hard, in a disciplined manner, work smart, and create opportunities for those people who still do not have any jobs so that they too can have a life. Then we can worry about work-life balance," the Infosys co-founder added.

Murthy went on to call Goswami the "probably the most-hard working person" in Republic TV—"...Only because of what you have done, what your team has emulated looking at you, you have this wonderful place."

"My personal view is that... I haven't seen anybody in the world who has achieved anything without hard work," Murthy further said, adding, "Performance leads to recognition, recognition leads to respect, and respect leads to power."

"If India wants to power, it has to perform. No words will satisfy...," the Infosys co-founder concluded.

Murthy also went on to cite China's example and cited the so called 9-9-6 rule: "There is a saying in China, 9, 9, 6. You know what it means? 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week. And that is a 72-hour week,” he said.

How social media reacted

While the interviewee smiled at Murthy's comments about a 72-hour work week, the internet was not amused.

"There’s a saying in Europe, 10, 5, 5. You know what it means - 10 am to 5 pm, 5 days a week. They go for walks, trekking, meet friends, and “enjoy” life,” an X user wrote, pushing back against the suggestion.

"Quoting China’s 9-9-6 as a benchmark sounds great on paper, but India doesn’t even have the basic ecosystem for it, fair salaries, work life balance, mental health support, or productivity-focused culture. Harder hours won’t fix deeper structural issues," wrote another user, highlighting issues with Murthy's suggestion.

"You can't expect 100km mileage on a drop of oil, similarly, one cannot expect to work overtime with a peanut salary and 0 hike," was another comment.

Users also directly targeted the Infosys co-founder over his suggestion: "Spend 12 hours × 6 days for your company - so that we can get laid off one day without prior notice. Spend 12 hours × 6 days for your company - so that you can spend time in London with your grandkids..," was an X user's scathing response, referencing recent tech layoffs.

Others, meanwhile, pointed out the health risks of Murthy's suggestion—"Business leaders in India are pushing for extra long work hours with calls for seventy hour weeks to match China’s tech sector. But experts warn such extreme schedules cause burnout and health problems and young workers globally are rejecting this grind culture," wrote one user.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that the Infosys co-founder has courted controversy. Back in October 2023, Murthy's suggestion about a 70-hour work week invited heavy online criticism.

This year, in January, Murthy appeared to clarify what he meant, saying it should be a personal choice and not a mandate.