Narayana Murthy Clarifies His Stance On Working 70 Hours Per Week, Here's What He Said

Speaking at the Kilachand Memorial Lecture on ‘Compassionate Capitalism’ in Mumbai, Murthy urged individuals to ‘introspect’ and look into pouring more sincerity in achieving progress.

He added that the choice to take such a workload should be made and never imposed.

Source : PTI

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy reinstated that individuals should consider the importance of dedicating longer hours to work, however, the businessman clarified that this choice should be made and not imposed.

Speaking at the Kilachand Memorial Lecture on ‘Compassionate Capitalism’ organised by the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mumbai, Murthy urged individuals to ‘introspect’ and look into pouring more sincerity in achieving progress. He added that the choice to take such a workload should be made and never imposed.

Murthy has been in the news for emphasising that the younger generation should work 70 hours a week and prioritise their professional commitment to helping the country progress and develop.

However, on Monday, he said that his decision to work long hours was his personal choice and was not up for public debate. “I used to get to the office at 6.30 am and leave at 8.30 pm. That’s a fact. I have done it for 40-odd years,” he shared.

Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy shared his insights on 'Compassionate Capitalism' yesterday at the Kilachand Memorial Lecture organized by IMC India in Mumbai@Infosys @PTI_News #NarayanaMurthypic.twitter.com/zmq8aI0fId

— IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (@IMC_India) January 21, 2025

Adding to the discussions about work-life balance, Murthy said, “These are issues one can introspect on, come to a conclusion, and do whatever they want.”

Notably, the clarification follows an intense debate about the balance between personal and professional life triggered by Murthy’s earlier comments on the issue. The debate became more heated on social media after L&T Chairman, S N Subrahmanyan, suggested employees to work for 90 hours a week. This earned the ire of Netizens with many criticising corporate giants for not giving importance to the mental health and personal life of their employees.