Work 70 hours a week for country's progress: Narayana Murthy tells youngsters

New Delhi: Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy urged youngsters to work 70 hours a week to help the country effectively compete globally.

The 77-year-old got on the subject of nation building, technology and others while talking with former Infosys CEO Mohandas Pai on the first episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record'.

Murthy drew the examples of Japan and Germany while suggesting increased work hours for the development of the country.

Responding to the question on his vision for India in the next 10, 15 years, Murthy pointed at increasing productivity and sorting out the government delays.

Murthy emphasized the importance of enhancing productivity, saying ‘India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world,’ and requested youngsters that they ‘must say 'this is my country. I'd like to work 70 hours a week.’

Taking more on the issue of corruption and productivity , he said unless India reduces corruption at the government level and cut down delays in bureaucracy, the country will not be able to compete with countries that have made ‘tremendous progress’.

He highlighted the role of discipline and enhanced productivity drawing examples from the success of Germany and Japan after the Second World War.

‘We need to be disciplined and improve our work productivity. I think unless we do that, what can poor government do? And every government is as good as the culture of the people. And our culture has to change to that of highly determined, extremely disciplined and extremely hard-working people,’ Narayana Murthy was quoted as saying.

Murthy’s suggestions sparked a debate online with many agreeing with the idea of increased work hours.

However one person said that Indian companies should pay on hourly basis unlike they currently do.