'Karna Padega': Naukri.com Boss Backs Murthy's Call for 70-Hour Work Week, Promotes Work on Weekends

In the wake of Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy's proposal for a 70-hour work week to bolster India's overall work productivity, debates have surged among influential figures from diverse sectors. Notable endorsements from personalities like Sajjan Jindal and Suniel Shetty have countered dissenting opinions, including those expressed by Harsh Goenka.

Sanjeev Bikhchandani, chairman of Naukri.com, has now aligned himself with those supporting Murthy's call for an extended work week. In an interview on the Indian Silicon Valley Podcast, Bikhchandani emphasised the necessity of sustained effort for success. "You can't push off at 5 pm and say 'ab ho gaya' [now I am done]. You can't say 'Saturday, Sunday main kaam nahi karta' [I don't work on weekends]. Apko karna padega [you will have to], if you want to succeed," he asserted.

Highlighting the demanding nature of entrepreneurship during the initial years, Bikhchandani challenged anyone to show a successful entrepreneur who didn't adhere to a strong work ethic in their formative years. "Nobody is saying work 70 hours by the clock, but you may have to," he added.

Drawing from his own experiences, Bikhchandani acknowledged the challenges of achieving work-life balance, particularly in the early stages of a startup. "If you look at any entrepreneur in India right now who has succeeded, ask 'tune kitni mehnat ki' [how hard have you worked?]. He will say 'maine bahot mehnat ki' [I have worked very hard']," he stated. According to him, work-life balance becomes work-life integration during the startup phase, where dedication to work is paramount.

Recalling his early career in advertising, Bikhchandani exemplified his commitment by working beyond the stipulated hours and forgoing leaves. "70 hours a week is not religion. I think the concept was to be prepared to work as hard as required and that may be much harder than you're working right now. Aapko mehnat karni padegi [you will have to work hard]. Hopefully, you won't mind doing it, because you want to build that startup. This is not a lecture, this is reality,” he concluded.