Co-founder of Infosys Narayana Murthy reaffirmed his support for a 70-hour workweek, stating that hard work is crucial to India’s development and to its rise to the top of the world economy.
Speaking at the centennial launch of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata, Mr. Murthy called the city “the most cultured place in the entire country” and emphasized the importance of young Indians working hard to lift the country out of poverty.
Infosys Head Narayan Murthy Explains Why He Stated 70-Hour Work Week
“If we are not in a position to work hard, then who will work hard?” he asked, pointing out that 800 million Indians are given free rations, a sign of extreme poverty.
When Mr. Murthy thought back on his early influences, he recalled how Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership and the founding of the Indian Institutes of Technology stoked his early leftist tendencies.
His perspective changed while he was living in Paris in the 1970s, where he saw the wealth and efficiency of the West and contrasted it with India’s poverty and infrastructure problems.
His conviction that entrepreneurship, job creation, and disposable incomes are the only ways to combat poverty was further elucidated in a conversation with the leader of the French Communist Party.
Mr. Murthy underlined that entrepreneurs are the ones who generate wealth, jobs, and tax income—all of which are essential for the advancement of a country—and that governments have no role in encouraging entrepreneurship.
He promoted “compassionate capitalism,” which combines aspects of socialism and liberalism with capitalism, as the best way for India to attain equality and prosperity.
Murthy Praises Kolkata’s Rich Cultural Legacy
He praised Kolkata’s rich cultural legacy, pointing to notable figures like Amartya Sen, Satyajit Ray, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Rabindranath Tagore as living examples.
In order to set an example for the rest of the world, Mr. Murthy emphasized India’s 4,000-year-old cultural heritage and urged the country to strike a balance between its traditional values and contemporary capitalist practices.
He urged young Indians to strive for international respect for their nation, stating that “performance leads to recognition, recognition leads to respect, and respect leads to power.”
Mr. Murthy urged Indians to avoid complacency and pursue greater productivity and excellence by citing a comparison in which a Chinese worker is 3.5 times more productive than an Indian.
He emphasized that India cannot afford to be “wretched, filthy, and poor” and urged the audience to commit their lives to achieving their potential and the founding fathers’ vision.
As he concluded, Mr. Murthy urged Indians to place a high priority on hard work, value creation, and international recognition as crucial elements of pride and national advancement.
