Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy Advocates for 70-Hour Work Week, Sparks Major Debate Among Indian Entrepreneurs and Netizens

Indian Social Media and Entrepreneurs Push Back Against Murthy's Call for 70-hour Workweek, Citing Work-Life Balance Concerns and Current Low Pay and High Work Conditions in IT Sector

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy's suggestion for Indian youths to work 70 hours a week for the nation's progress has resulted in a controversial debate among netizens and other entrepreneurs.
Some entrepreneurs such as Ola Cabs co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal supported Murthy's proposition, saying that it's time for India's youth to put forth maximum effort and achieve in one generation what other nations have done over many generations.
Others, such as Ashneer Grover and Project FitCo founder Chirag Barjatiya, disagreed, citing poor transportation, long commuting hours, low pay, high cost of living, and work-life balance issues as significant obstacles to implementing a 70-hour workweek.
IT companies struggling with high attrition rates and worker retention have been promoting work-life balance and flexible working hours, which contradicts Murthy's viewpoint. The younger generation, which has different expectations for work than previous generations, is likely to resist the imposition of longer working hours.
After Murthy's controversial statement, there's a widespread division in India Inc., with some agreeing that India's progress requires more work hours, while others argue for an increase in productivity and work quality over extended work hours.
Suggestions for a 70-hour workweek face legal obstacles as well, as India’s Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code limits working days to eight hours.