Sudha Murty backs Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work-week suggestion: ‘He doesn’t know what less than that is’

Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, suggested that India's workforce should engage in a 70 hour work week, earning brickbats from many on social media. Notably, the proposal also found many taker in the likes of Ola Co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal, former board member of Infosys Mohandas Pai, and JSW Group chairman Sajjan Jindal. 

The latest to join the bandwagon of supporters was Sudha Murty, author of children's literature and wife to Narayana Murthy. 

On Narayana Murthy's 70 hour work week suggestion Sudha Murty told News18, “He has worked 80 to 90 hours a week, so, he doesn’t know what less than that is. He believes in real hard work and he lived like that. Hence, he has told what he felt.”

Sudha Murty backed her husband's suggestion citing the fact that he believes in passion and “real hard work”.

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When News18 asked Sudha Murty is she talked about the corporate work situation in current scenario, the mother-in-law to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, “People have different ways of expression. But he lived like that, he had walked the talk. So, he has shared his experience,” she added.

Sudha Murty was visiting the recently concluded 14th Tata Lit Fest in Mumbai, where she had a full-house talk session at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA).

Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy stirred a little storm on X when he said young people should work 70 hours a week to level up the country's productivity.

In a conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai in the inaugural episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record,' Murthy said that youngsters should put extra hours at work to compete with leading economies.

"India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity...we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress," he said, comparing India with China, Japan and Germany.

"I wholeheartedly endorse Mr Narayana Murthy's statement. It's not about burnout, it’s about dedication. We have to make India an economic superpower that we can all be proud of in India 2047. A 5-day week culture is not what a rapidly developing nation of our size needs," Sajjan Jindal, chairman, JSW Group, said.

Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO, Ola Cabs, also posted saying, "Totally agree with Mr Murthy’s views. It's not our moment to work less and entertain ourselves. Rather it's our moment to go all in and build in 1 generation what other countries have built over many generations!

"So therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, 'This is my country. I'd like to work 70 hours a week," he added.