70 Hour Work Culture: Is Mr. Murthy right?

Mr. Narayan Murthy (Co-Founder of Infosys) said that there should be a 70-hour work culture per week for working professionals and youngsters in India. He said, "India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. For nation-building, Youngsters should want to work 70-hour a week. This is what Germans and Japanese did after the Second World War".

Now, this has created a raging debate around the country. Some of the businessmen like Sajjan Jindal (Chairman and Managing Director of JSW Group of Companies) supported Mr. Murthy's remark. "It's not about burnout; it's about dedication". He also said that a "5-day work culture is not what a rapidly-developing nation such as India needs. But there are many other businessmen like Ashneer Grover who said "Quality time over the number of hours matters". 

I have asked my friends, colleagues, and other working professionals about their views on 70-hour-a-week work. Many of them said that they are already working almost 70 hours per week as they have to work on weekends also. They have to work from home even though they don't come to the office. Some of them like the notion of 70 hours per 70-hour-per-week work culture, stating that this will help the youngsters to be at their prime and help in nation-building and that's what is driving India to become a global superpower.

However, a majority of them point out the health implications that can occur due to working 70 hours per week. and it's not just physical health, but also mental health too. They said that the majority of Indians are depressed due to the heavy workload they bear during their current work culture, which is 48 hours per week. If it is increased to 70 hours per week, then this would create mayhem.

I remember, in an interview in 2019, Jack Ma (Founder of Alibaba Group) stated that China also implemented such a work culture during the 1990s and he said that those people who love their work are okay with that but those who didn't quite like their job is like torture to them. 

Recently, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has recently said that 70 hour work week is not mandated. In fact, developed nations are turning towards ILO's recent convention which states a 40-hour work week instead of 48 hour work week, which India has also ratified. ILO believes that longer working hours will lead to an increase in productivity is a  misconception.

So, it got me thinking, is Mr. Murthy right in asking the youngsters and working professionals to work 70 hours per week which will help in nation-building or is it a misconception?

What are your views? Write in the comment section

Arindam Kumar Dutta

Keywords: 70 hours per week, Mr. Murthy, Mental Health