Infosys co-founder says 70-hour workweek is India’s answer

Indian consulting giant Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has once again argued that employees in India should have a 70-hour workweek, NDTV reports. Murthy has previously made similar statements in October 2023 and in January 2024.

Speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce centenary on Sunday, the billionaire argued that 70-hour workweeks are necessary because several hundred million Indian citizens live in poverty. His argument is that those who have jobs should work long hours and embrace entrepreneurship to create jobs for others.

“We have to work hard and work towards making India No. 1,” he said, emphasizing young people in particular need to understand this.

“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,” he said in speaking to Sanjiv Goenka, chairman of Indian multinational conglomerate RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. “If we are not in a position to work hard, then who will work hard?”

Murthy’s proposal has previously been criticized for posing serious health risks and a lack of work-life balance. At the same time, studies have shown that more working hours do not necessarily lead to better productivity but to worse productivity.

Murthy did not provide comment on whether Infosys compensates its workers for overtime pay, nor did he discuss how billable hours are reported to or remunerated by clients of the company’s consulting and outsourcing services.