Narayana Murthy says he used to work 6.5 days a week: 'Leave home at 6 am'

Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty discussed life, marriage and work with CNBC-TV18. (Image: screengrab from video @CNBCTV18News/X)

Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy staunchly defended his controversial advice urging young Indians to embrace a 70-hour work week in a recent interview with CNBC-TV18. Facing criticism for his remarks, Murthy clarified his stance, emphasising the need for hard work in a country where many endure demanding professions, such as farming and factory work.

Murthy, sitting in for the interview with his wife Sudha Murty, faced probing questions about the backlash surrounding his recommendation for a 70-hour work week a few months ago. Since then, he has made his stance clear.

Addressing the criticism, Murthy told CNBC-TV18, "I rationalised it this way. If anybody that has performed much better than me in their own field, not necessarily in my field, I would respect, I would call them, and I would say, where do you think I was wrong in saying this? But I didn't find. A lot of my western friends, a lot of NRIs, a lot of good people in India called me, and without exception, they were all very happy."

He further justified his stance by highlighting the hard work put in by the less privileged in India, stating, "The issue is that we have to work hard in this country because the poor farmer works very hard. You know, the poor factory worker works very hard. So, therefore, those of us who received education at a huge discount, thanks to the subsidy from the government for all these education, owe it to the less fortunate citizens of India to work extremely hard."

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Sudha Murty, echoed this sentiment, drawing from her family's medical background, "My father used to work more than 70 hours a week. My sister is a doctor. She also works more than 70 hours. Murthy has worked 90 hours a week."

Murthy provided a personal insight into his own rigorous work routine, recounting, "I used to go six and a half days. Even in the electronics area, I used to work six and a half days. And every day I would leave home at 6 am in the morning. I would be in the office at 6.20. And I would leave by about 8.15, 8.30 pm."

He emphasised the importance of leading by example, stating, "One thing I have followed is that whatever advice I have given to others, I think by and large I have followed it. I have not given advice to people without having done it myself."

Murthy has previously revealed that in his four-decade professional career, he worked 70 hours every week and until 1994, worked for 85-90 hours every week since Infosys functioned six days a week during that time span.

During a podcast with former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai, Murthy had said “My request is that our youngsters must say, ‘This is my country. I’d like to work 70 hours a week'.". The comment found support from industry leaders but was criticised in general for work life balance neglect.