New Delhi: Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy’s call for young Indians to work longer hours was not meant for general work force but a ‘select group of innovators’, according to former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai.
Triggering a controversy a few months ago, Murthy argued for promoting the 9-9-6 Chinese work rule, which is about employees working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, thus effectively achieving 72 work hours a week.
Pai, who is also the chairman of Aarin Capital, reportedly said that Murthy’s remark was aimed at those including entrepreneurs, startup founders, and high-performing innovators.
They also include kind of employees, according to him, who are focused on creating globally competitive tech companies and building “unicorns”.
Talking to ET Now, Pai stressed that ordinary employees are not directed to adopt this intense work schedule, adding ‘Ordinary employees are not being asked to work 70 hours. Nobody is asking bank staff or office-goers to do this.’
Murthy’s suggestion, according to Pai, stemmed from the situation of aggressive work pace seen in global tech ecosystems which has to do with China’s 9-9-6 rule.
Clarifying further he said that tech hubs like China and Silicon Valley are driven by what he said motivated teams who work ‘extremely hard’.
‘Yes, smart systems matter. But you cannot ignore that the China and Silicon Valley founders work extremely hard. If Indian startups want to compete, they must match that level of ambition,’ Pai was quoted as saying.
Fueled by the desire to building something significant, these select group of innovators do not follow ‘traditional work-life balance’.
‘You are driven by the need to build something great. If you choose entrepreneurship, you slug it out. And there is fulfilment because you are ahead in the race,’ he reportedly said.