Sudha Murty Reacts to Narayana Murthy's '70-Hour Work Week' Remark
Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty has opined on her husband, Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy's provocative proposal that young Indians must work 70 hours a week to increase productivity. In an interview on NDTV's India Through the Eyes of Its Icons, the Rajya Sabha member spoke about the work culture that established Infosys and her own strategy for managing career and personal life.
Ms. Murty stressed that time is never a factor if one is really passionate about what they do. Reminiscing about the early years of Infosys, she said her husband and his hardworking colleagues used to work 70 hours or more since they had no financial support but were committed to making it big. "There was no magic wand to make Infosys so big. It was sheer hard work, luck, and the right timing", she said.
Tackling questions about family life, Ms. Murty admitted she deliberately kept handling family matters as her husband worked on establishing Infosys. "I made that choice and never grumbled that he wasn't there because he was doing vital work", she stated.
She did admit, however, that long work days are not exclusive to entrepreneurs, pointing out the occupations of journalism and medicine in which individuals work even longer days. She also spoke about her own experiences, noting that while Mr. Murthy was focusing on Infosys, she developed her own interests teaching computer science, bringing up their children, and later heading the Infosys Foundation.
"When my kids traveled abroad, the Foundation totally consumed me, and I began working day and night", she added, pointing out that she works longer hours than her husband, who in turn backs her. "Behind every successful woman, there's an understanding man", she said, emphasizing the value of mutual support in a relationship.
Ms. Murty concluded by emphasizing that everyone, regardless of their wealth or status, has the same 24 hours in a day. "How you use that time is up to you. If you are passionate about something, you must invest time, and your partner should support you", she said.
Narayana Murthy's comments, which were made in an October 2023 podcast, caused much controversy. He had identified India's work productivity as one of the lowest in the world and encouraged young Indians to work 70 hours a week, comparing it with post-war German and Japanese work cultures. His comment raised issues about work-life balance, with many split on whether such demands are feasible or tenable.
