After sparking a nation-wide debate following his remarks on 70-hour work weeks, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy recently clarified that such a commitment is a personal choice and can't be dictated.
Speaking after delivering the Kilachand Memorial Lecture at IMC on Monday, Murthy reflected on his own career and said that working long hours was also his decision. “I used to get to the office at 6.30 am and leave at 8.30 pm. I’ve done it for 40-odd years. That’s a fact," Business Today quoted him as saying. “These are not matters for debate. They are deeply personal decisions. No one can say, ‘You should or shouldn’t do it.’”
At a time when his previous comments were magnified by those made by L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s recent call for 90-hour workweeks, Murthy highlighted the need for "compassionate capitalism".
“We need compassionate capitalism—fairness, transparency, integrity, and putting society’s interests ahead of personal gain,” he said.
The 78-year-old also spoke about the moral responsibility to uplift the nation’s poor.
“A child in poverty can only have a better future if I work hard, work smart, generate revenue, and pay taxes,” he was quoted by Business Today as saying.
Last November, Murthy had restated his support for a six-day workweek, arguing that India’s economic challenges and ambitions necessitate a stronger culture of hard work. Speaking at the CNBC Global Leadership Summit, he expressed regret over India’s shift from a six-day to a five-day workweek in 1986, a decision he has long criticised and refused to embrace.
“I am sorry, I have not changed my view. I will take this with me to my grave," Murthy said, while explaining his position to CNBC-TV18’s Shereen Bhan. He argued that hard work is fundamental to personal and national success, asserting that it’s especially important given the socio-economic needs of India
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