Infosys Co-founder Narayana Murthy has reiterated his stance on the significance of a 70-hour workweek, calling on young Indians to embrace hard work as a means of driving the nation’s progress. This was stated in a report by Mint.
Speaking during his visit to Kolkata, on Sunday, December 15, which he described as "the most cultured place in the entire country," Murthy stressed the need for Indians to aim for excellence.
"At Infosys, I said we will go to the best and compare ourselves with the best global companies. Once we compare ourselves with the best global companies, I can tell you we Indians have a lot to do. We have to set our aspirations high because 800 million Indians get free ration. That means 800 million Indians are in poverty. If we are not in a position to work hard, then who will work hard?" Murthy said while addressing the centenary launch of the Indian Chamber of Commerce alongside Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman of the RPSG Group.
Reflecting on his early years as a Leftist during Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership, Murthy shared experiences from his time in Paris in the 1970s, where he encountered a contrasting view of India’s development.
"My father used to talk about the extraordinary progress that was happening in the country at the time and we were all sold on Nehru and socialism. I had the opportunity to work in Paris in the early 70s and I was confused. The West was talking about how filthy and corrupt India was. In my country, there was poverty and the roads had potholes," Murthy said.
"Everyone there was reasonably prosperous, trains ran on time, and I thought this can't be wrong. I met the leader of the French Communist Party and he answered all my questions, but not to my satisfaction. I realised the only way a country can fight poverty is by creating jobs that lead to disposable incomes. The government has absolutely no role in entrepreneurship," he added.
Emphasis on entrepreneurs
Murthy underlined the pivotal role of entrepreneurs in nation-building, emphasising that they create wealth and employment. "Entrepreneurs build a nation as they create jobs, they create wealth for their investors, and they pay taxes. Therefore, if a country embraces capitalism, it will create good roads, good trains, and good infrastructure," he stated.
He also praised Kolkata’s cultural heritage, saying, "In some way, this is the most cultured place in the entire country. When I think of Kolkata, I think of Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Subhash Chandra Bose, Amartya Sen, and a host of other personalities."
Murthy ended with a call to action for young Indians to take greater responsibility: "Human beings can think and express. When God has given us the ability to think, this behoves us to think about people less fortunate than us. It is to make sure that the rest of the world respects India. The rest of the world respects India for its performance. Performance leads to recognition, recognition leads to respect, respect leads to power."
Sharing a sobering comparison of productivity, Murthy pointed out: "A gentleman here told me a Chinese worker is 3.5 times more productive than an Indian. It is very easy for us to write all kinds of nonsense and remain wretched, filthy, and poor and shunned by the world. Therefore, I don't think we should say we are all comfortable and I will not go to the office. My request to all the people assembled here is to dedicate their lives to realising their value."
