N R Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, last year advised Indian youth to work for 70 hours a week to boost the country’s economy. His advice received mixed reactions, with some considering it excessive and others supporting him. However, Murthy has recently defended his statement, stating that if anyone has achieved greater success than him, he would respect them and seek feedback on where he went wrong. He emphasized that he would not have given such advice without having practiced it himself. Furthermore, Murthy highlighted that less privileged individuals in India are already working tirelessly to make ends meet and compared their hard work to the proposed 70-hour work week. He also mentioned that his advice was well-received by his Western friends, NRIs, and many other individuals in India.

Murthy’s wife, Sudha Murty, further supported his stance by revealing that her father used to work more than 70 hours a week and her sister, who is a doctor, adheres to a similar work schedule. In December, Murthy disclosed that he used to arrive at the office early in the morning and leave late at night, working six days a week. He even worked up to 85-90 hours a week when there was a six-day work week until 1994.