‘No Stare At Wife For Long’: How Narayana Murthy Sparked Work-Life Balance Debate In India – News18

Last Updated:January 10, 2025, 11:45 IST

Started by Infosys’ N R Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work week remark, the discussion around optimal work hours has consistently ignited fervent debates with the latest being L&T chief S N Subrahmanyan who suggests 90-hour work week, including Sundays.

In the world of Indian enterprise, the discussion around optimal work hours has consistently ignited fervent debates, spearheaded by some of the nation’s most prominent business leaders. Notably, Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, who has long been a fixture in discussions about corporate diligence, initially proposed a 70-hour workweek, suggesting that such commitment was necessary to elevate India on the global stage. Joining him latest is Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan who has gone further and advocated for 90 hours work week.

In October 2023, Murthy first advocated for the 70-hour work week. He said that for India to compete with the fastest-growing countries like China and Japan, the youth must commit to working 70 hours a week.

“India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity, unless we reduce corruption in the government at some level, because we have been reading I don’t know the truth of it, unless we reduce the delays in our bureaucracy in taking this decision, we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress,” the Infosys founder had said.

He further added, “This is my country. I would like to work 70 hours a week.”

Narayana Murthy faced backlash following his remarks. However, he stood firm, reinforcing his belief in hard work, particularly for those who are well-educated and capable of contributing significantly to society.

A year later, in November 2024, he repeated his stance and said, “I am sorry. I haven’t changed my view. I will take this with me to my grave. I am very proud of having worked very hard… I worked fourteen hours a day and 6.5 days a week till I retired.”

“I don’t believe in work-life balance,” Muthy said.

The debate took on new dimensions when L&T’s Subrahmanyan echoed this ethos, but pushed the envelope further with a 90-hour workweek proposal, including Sundays.

The L&T chairman’s comments, first circulated in a video on Reddit, suggested that employees should prioritise work over home life, questioning, “How long can you stare at your wife?” Subrahmanyan expressed regret over the inability to mandate Sunday work, stating, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays.”

This suggestion sparked significant public outcry, highlighting a growing concern among the workforce about the sustainability of such demands and the impact on personal life.

However, L&T has defended its chairman’s comment stating that nation-building is at the core of the company’s mandate. The company’s spokesperson stated, “The Chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort.”

Many other entrepreneurs have also voiced their desire to raise working hours for employees and reject work-life balance.

Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal has also said in the past that he does not believe in work-life balance.

In July 2024, Bhavish Aggarwal said, “I don’t agree with the work-life balance concept because if you are enjoying your work, you will find happiness in life also and work also, and both of them will be in harmony.”

Work-Life Balance: Healthcare Experts’ Take

However, healthcare experts have insisted that there is a fair amount of scientific evidence to suggest that a 70-hour work week as compared to a 40-hour work week, leads to an increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, like strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure.

Researchers have shown that working 55 or more hours per week is associated with a 35 per cent higher risk of a stroke and a 17 per cent higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to working 35-40 hours a week.

Following Bhavish Aggrawal’s comment, Hyderabad-based Neurologist from Apollo Hospitals last year posted the findings of studies on his X account. His post said, “More than 800,000 people die every year due to working for more than 55 hours a week… Long working hours are associated with a higher risk of being overweight and having prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. People working 69 or more hours a week are more likely to have moderate to severe depressive symptoms than those working 40 hours a week.”

Similarly, Dr Sumit Ray, medical director at Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi, asserted that the purpose of life extends beyond work. He criticised the mindset behind a 70-hour workweek, labelling it as exploitative and profit-driven.

“The purpose of living is not just to work, but, to have leisure, and have pleasurable human interactions with friends, family, and acquaintances. Have time for greater intellectual stimulation and healthy physical activity.”