'Used to be in office at 6:20 AM for 6 days': Narayana Murthy DEFENDS his '70-hour-work week' remark

Narayana Murthy Latest News: Defending his 70-hour-work week remark, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy drew parallel between the hardworking farmers, factory workers of India and the educated youth and underlined that hard work is the key to success based on his observations of successful nations. He made the remarks while speaking exclusively to a leading channel. For the unversed, Murthy's 70-hour work week, last year, had sparked a controversy, with many celebrities and politicians questioning the impact of long working hours. 

"I rationalised it this way. If anybody has performed much better than me in their own field, not necessarily in my field, I would respect, I would call them, and I would say, where do you think I was wrong in saying this? But I didn't find. A lot of my western friends, a lot of NRIs, a lot of good people in India called me, and without exception, they were all very happy,” Murthy said during the interview.

During the initial years of Infosys, which Murthy co-founded in 1981, he dedicated himself to long work hours, often putting in 85-90 hours per week. This commitment was especially notable as Infosys functioned six days a week until 1994. He attributed his tireless work ethic for the company's success.  

"The issue is that we must work hard in this country because the poor farmer works very hard. You know, the poor factory worker works very hard. So, therefore, those of us who received education at a huge discount, thanks to the subsidy from the government for all this education, owe it to the less fortunate citizens of India to work extremely hard,” Murthy said.

Sudha Murthy expanded on the narrative, sharing, "I come from a family of doctors, and my father used to dedicate more than 70 hours a week to his work." In response, Narayana Murthy added, "I, too, followed a rigorous schedule, leaving home at 6 am in the morning and returning at 9 pm."