Internet reacts to Infosys Narayana Murthy’s “70-hour workweek” statement

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy's remark about working 70 hours a week is sparking a mix of reactions online.

Hyderabad: The statement made by Infosys founder Narayana Murthy on working 70 hours per week has generated various reactions on the internet.

During a conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, Narayana Murthy expressed that India’s work productivity is comparatively low and emphasized the need for Indian youngsters to put in extra hours of work, similar to the post-World War 2 strategies implemented by Japan and Germany to compete with other countries like China. He also attributed the country’s low work productivity to issues such as corruption in the government and bureaucratic delays.

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In response to Narayana Murthy’s statement, internet users shared their views:

One individual criticized the idea, stating, “70 hours?! If true, it’s a predatory approach to employ youngsters, work them to death, and make huge profits. Bad business model.”

 

70 hours?! If true, it’s a predatory approach to employ youngsters, work them to death, and make huge profits. Bad business model.

— Naresh (@TopDriverIndia) October 26, 2023

Another person commented on the compensation provided by Infosys, saying, “Infosys pays 3.5 Lakh per year to a fresher and expects a lot. Good advice, but he has never considered his employees.”

Infosys pays 3.5 Lakh per year to a fresher and expects a lot. Good advice but once in his lifetime he has never thought of his employees.

— Prayush Jain / PJ 🇮🇳 (@jainprayush9) October 26, 2023

A different viewpoint was expressed by someone who highlighted the working conditions in the IT consulting industry, stating, “These corporations expect 12 hours of work per day for 6 days a week, along with travel time and preparation. They charge millions from clients but pay their employees very little.”

Yes , For these corporations destroy everything.

12 hrs a day for 6 days week and add 2 hrs travelling 1 hrs for preparation. These IT consulting corporations charge in millions from their clients but pay pennies to their employees.

— Dr SHRADDHEY KATIYAR (@Wegiveyouhealt1) October 26, 2023

Another person questioned the relevance of the proposed long work hours in a changing work culture, stating, “While the world is transitioning to a 4-day work week, Infosys is advocating for almost 7 days a week. Employers should consider not only extracting more from employees but also their mental health and family lives.”