Overview

• Tejasvi Surya called the Mumbai–Bengaluru flight chat with Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy a two-hour masterclass spanning AI, manufacturing, urban governance, youth upskilling, ethics and leadership.
• Surya joked he would aim for Murthy’s proposed 70-hour weekly work target, to which Murthy laughed and said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely works 100 hours a week.
• Murthy first urged young Indians to adopt a 70-hour workweek in 2023 and clarified in January that it was a voluntary, motivation-based suggestion rather than a mandate.
• The PM Modi quip went viral on X, drawing widespread commentary on the feasibility of prolonged work schedules and warnings about diminishing returns.
• Observers say the exchange highlights a broader national divide between boosting productivity through longer hours and preserving sustainable work-life balance.