Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy cleared the air about his 70-hour workweek remark on Monday, saying that no one can forcefully implement it on others.
After stirring up a fierce debate on social media by suggesting young Indians should work 70 hours a week earlier last year, Narayana Murthy issued a clarification while speaking at IMC's Kilachand Memorial Lecture.
"There's nobody who can say you should do this, you should not do it," the Infosys co-founder said.
He shared the time which he used to spend at his office during his years building Infosys and said, "I used to get to the office at 6:20 am and leave at 8:30 pm. I’ve done it for 40 odd years. That’s a fact. So nobody can say that's wrong."
He mentioned that these choices are personal and aren't really up for public debate.
"These are not issues that should be discussed and debated. These are issues that one can introspect on, one can ingest, and one can come to some conclusion on and do whatever they want," said Murthy.
His clarification on the long working hours that have been a topic of national debate comes after Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan sparked outrage with his comments in support of a 90-hour workweek.
The comments from the L&T Chairman sparked reactions from India Inc's top leaders, with most criticising the comment.
Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, said, “Let it start from the top, and if [it works] as a Proof of Concept, then implement it further down.” He called the practice of measuring work hours “archaic and regressive.”
The second-richest man in India, billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, also shared his views on work-life balance. In an interview, Adani said, “Your idea of work-life balance should not be imposed on me, and my work-life balance shouldn’t be imposed on you.”
Source: India Today