Narayana Murthy revisits his 72-hour workweek remark, cites China's '9-9-6' regimen

In 2021, China’s Supreme Court ruled that such extended hours breached labour protections.

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy once again revived his earlier argument urging Indians to put in longer working hours, this time pointing to China’s intense workplace expectations to support his view. During an interview with Republic TV, the 79-year-old entrepreneur cited the so-called “9-9-6” pattern — a schedule where employees worked from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week.

The “9-9-6” approach amounted to a 72-hour week and had been associated for years with segments of China’s technology and internet sector. Although the routine had gained attention for driving growth and delivering rapid output, it also attracted strong criticism for the strain it placed on workers’ health, family time, and overall wellbeing. In 2021, China’s Supreme Court ruled that such extended hours breached labour protections and limited work to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, with a cap on monthly overtime.

Murthy referenced this model while defending his long-standing position that India needed a more demanding work rhythm to accelerate national development. In 2023, he had sparked widespread discussion after saying that citizens “must work 70 hours a week” to help the country progress. His fresh comments revisited that argument, this time pointing to China’s earlier productivity norms as an example.

By invoking the “9-9-6” structure, Murthy argued that longer work weeks had contributed to rapid economic expansion elsewhere, reiterating his view that India required similar levels of commitment if it hoped to strengthen its global competitiveness.