- Narayana Murthy believes 70-hour work weeks are vital for economic growth
- Murthy says more productivity can raise tax money and address poverty
- His idea is inspired by capitalism in the 1970s and time in Paris
Narayana Murthy, co-founder and CEO of Indian tech giant Infosys, has once again sparked controversy after speaking out in favor of a 70-hour work week.
Speaking at the 100-year celebration of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata over the weekend, Murthy said longer working hours are essential to address widespread poverty and to foster economic growth in India.
This isn’t the first time that Murthy has advocated for extra-long working hours, having previously stated that additional work could help lift millions out of poverty.
Narayana Murthy still supports long working hours
The billionaire and father of the former UK prime minister’s wife, Akshata Murty, first made the suggestion in October 2023 before repeating it in January 2024. He indicated that two-day weekends are unproductive, adding that India’s 800 million citizens living in poverty rely on the country’s entrepreneurs to create jobs and improve the nation’s economy.
Speaking about his experiences abroad, particularly working in Paris during the 1970s, Murthy explained the logic behind his attitude to extreme work: “I realised the only way a country can fight poverty is by creating jobs that lead to disposable incomes.”
He added: “if a country embraces capitalism, it will create good roads, good trains and good infrastructure… It is practising capitalism while combining it with the best aspects of liberalism and socialism so that this country stands steadily as a stellar example of capitalism.”
In his speech, Murthy also highlighted India’s productivity gap, citing reports that Chinese workers are 3.5 times more productive than their Indian counterparts.
However, countries like France that Murthy compared India to in the 70s are now battling with worker fatigue, burnout, and the subsequent drop in productivity, suggesting that a 70-hour work week could be detrimental not only to the economy and the country’s growth but also to employees’ work-life balance and their health.