Narayana Murthy’s comment on work hours sparks debate online; here's what he said
Bengaluru: Infosys founder NR Narayan Murthy’s comment that youngsters in India should work at least 70 hours a week in order to compete with developed countries that have made tremendous progress has sparked a massive debate online.
Speaking to former Infosys CEO Mohandas Pai on a podcast about the vision for the next 10, 15 years, the 77-year-old had suggested youngsters work at least 70 hours per week.
He said, "India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity, unless we reduce corruption in the government at some level, because we have been reading, I don't know the truth of it, unless we reduce the delays in our bureaucracy in taking this decision, we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress. So therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say 'this is my country. I'd like to work 70 hours a week."
While many CEOs, founders, and others in various organisations supported Murthy's view on social media, others disagreed with him. Many slammed Murthy for not being considerate of the work-life balance and the mental health of employees.
Ronnie Screwvala, founder of upGrad and UTV motion pictures wrote, “Boosting productivity isn't just about working longer hours. It's about getting better at what you do - Upskilling, having a positive work environment and fair pay for the work done. Quality of work done > clocking in more hours.”
Suryakant Waghmore, professor of sociology at IIT Bombay asked, “To ensure a dignified life for workers Ambedkar brought the 8-hour workweek in 1942. It’s hardly implemented. Now.. Narayana Murthy wants to formalise 70 hours per week. What else? pure-vegetarianism, endogamy and women as slaves?”
Another user expressed disagreement saying, “With this statement, Mr. Murthy is essentially pushing women out of the workplace. Men are never going to share the load of housekeeping, caregiving and childrearing. With a 70 hour work week, women will have no choice but to drop out.”
On the other hand, Bhavish Aggarwal, Ola Cabs co-founder supported Murthy’s view. He wrote, “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!”
Former CEO of Prasar Bharathi, Shashi Shekhar Vempati also supported Murthy. He said, “Mr Murthy's comments on hard work have a context. As a young Infoscion in the late 1990s, I remember the missionary zeal with which we put in extra hours, not because it was work but because we were literally making history as Indian IT firms became global brands. Quantum leaps of that nature happen when you make it about a larger goal/purpose and believe in it with a zeal and passion where the number of hours become secondary. This is the context with which the remarks by Mr Murthy need to be understood.”
Infosys' Narayana Murthy wants youngsters to toil 70 hours a week for pittence to make billionaires like him more richer. https://t.co/edyWtEi6FP
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) October 26, 2023
With this statement, Mr. Murthy is essentially pushing women out of the workplace.
— Natasha Ramarathnam (@nuts2406) October 26, 2023
Men are never going to share the load of housekeeping, caregiving and childrearing. With a 70 hour work week, women will have no choice but to drop out. https://t.co/U9IapSHDZv
Boosting productivity isn't just about working longer hours. It's about getting better at what you do - Upskilling, having a positive work environment and fair pay for the work done.
— Ronnie Screwvala (@RonnieScrewvala) October 26, 2023
Quality of work done > clocking in more hours https://t.co/mbEQA0TriA
To ensure a dignified life for workers Ambedkar brought the 8-hour workweek in 1942. It’s hardly implemented.
— Suryakant Waghmore (@Suryakant_Waghm) October 27, 2023
Now.. Narayana Murthy wants to formalise 70 hours per week per week.
What else?
pure-vegetarianianism, endogamy and women as slaves?
Hypocrisy of Narayana Murthy#Infosys #indu pic.twitter.com/Yol2PxpNJe
— 👑Che_ಕೃಷ್ಣ🇮🇳💛❤️ (@ChekrishnaCk) October 27, 2023
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rain wreaks havoc in Bengaluru, kills 10
Bengaluru (PTI):The rains in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening wreaked havoc, killing 10 people, authorities said.
Heavy rains coupled with a hailstorm and gusty winds uprooted trees, flooded many key stretches and threw traffic out of gear, they said on Thursday.
Large parts of the city witnessed sudden, intense rainfall for nearly an hour, bringing down trees and electric poles, crushing parked vehicles and inundating low-lying areas, while several roads were rendered impassable, severely disrupting vehicular movement during peak hours.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed when a compound wall of the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital collapsed amid the downpour.
Among the deceased, two were from Kerala who were on a study tour. They had taken shelter near the wall when it gave way, they said.
ALSO READ: ICSE, ISC results: Girls outperform boys, pass rate over 99%
In another incident, a 35-year-old man, identified as Raghu, died of electrocution on Bannerghatta Road near Vega City Mall.
In a separate case in Yarab Nagar, a student, Syed Sufiyan died after coming into contact with a live electric wire while attempting to park his motorcycle during the rain, police said.
One more fatality was reported from Chamarajapet, where Manjunath died on the spot after a cement block fell and pierced through the roof of a house during the storm.
The sudden spell of rain left a trail of destruction across the city.
“So far, 10 people have died due to rain-related incidents in Bengaluru,” police said, attributing the deaths to wall collapse, electrocution and structural damage triggered by the storm.
Civic authorities said at least 87 trees were uprooted and 131 branches snapped across the city, disrupting daily life.
Of these, 60 trees and 98 branches had been cleared, while restoration work was ongoing.
Several cars and two-wheelers parked along roadsides were crushed under fallen trees.
Key junctions and underpasses were waterlogged, with the KR Circle underpass completely submerged, forcing police to barricade the stretch due to lack of drainage.
Fallen branches and stalled vehicles further worsened traffic congestion, leaving commuters stranded for hours.
Officials said buildings suffered partial damage in several areas, while the sudden and unanticipated nature of the storm caught many residents off guard. Authorities have issued a rain alert for the next three days.
