Karti Chidambaram's argument against Murthy's 70-hour workweek for Indians
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram has slammed Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's proposal for a 70-hour workweek. Chidambaram said that efficiency, not longer hours, is the key to India's progress. Murthy, 78, has long advocated for grueling work hours and had previously expressed disappointment over India's transition to a five-day workweek in 1986. He feels more sacrifice and hard work is required for the country's growth.
Chidambaram advocates for work-life balance
Chidambaram took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to share his thoughts. He highlighted how work-life balance is crucial for social and mental well-being in India. "Working longer is meaningless, focus should be on efficiency," Chidambaram wrote. He proposed that India should look at a four-day workweek, with hours from Monday noon to Friday 2pm.
Gogoi emphasizes importance of personal relationships
Chidambaram's party colleague Gaurav Gogoi also disagreed with Murthy's stance. Gogoi emphasized the significance of family and personal relationships in addition to work commitments. "What is life but looking after your children, cooking for them, teaching them," Gogoi wrote on X.
Murthy defends his call for a 70-hour workweek
Murthy continues to stand by his belief that hard work is essential for India's growth. Defending his 70-hour workweek call, he stressed on the need to improve India's position in the world. "We have to set our aspirations high because 800 million Indians get free rations," Murthy said. He narrated an anecdote of a Chinese worker being more productive than an Indian one, asking citizens to bridge this gap through hard work.
