Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal on Thursday backed Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy who wants youngsters to work 70 hours a week (14 hours a day) so that India can compete with major economies such as China. Murthy, in a podcast, said India's work productivity is among the lowest in the world and that in order to compete with countries like China, the country's youth should work more as Japan and Germany did after World War II.
"Totally agree with Mr Murthy's views," Aggarwal, who is currently on a mission to make India a global leader in electric mobility, said. "It's not our moment to work less and entertain ourselves. Rather it's our moment to go all in and build in 1 generation what other countries have built over many generations!"
Aggarwal's support to Murthy immediately triggered a debate on social media, with some asking the young entrepreneur: "What about work-life balance?"
Rahul, a social media user, said that if employees worked for 70 hours a week which would be 11.66 hours a day for a 6 working day week and 14 hours for a 5 day week then people wouldn't have time to start or raise a family. "Then this will become the last generation for many."
Ramya Raman, another social media user, said that bosses don't understand economics, families, or social life. "Employees are not sitting on millions of stocks. What happens to travel, entertainment, shopping...children, parents? There are struggles a common man goes through that a boss will never understand."
Brahma Reddy, a data engineer, said that working excessively long hours can indeed have adverse effects on one's health, including the reproductive system. "Maintaining a work-life balance is not just about quality of life, but also about safeguarding our physical and mental well-being. It's vital that we consider the long-term consequences on our health and future generations," he said.
Reddy further said that let's promote a culture that values both productivity and personal health, ensuring a healthier, happier, and more fertile future for all. "A 70-hour workweek may be manageable for some, but it's not sustainable for most," he added. "We must prioritize a balanced work culture, ensuring that employees at all levels can thrive and have fulfilling lives outside of work."
Speaking to former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, Narayana Murthy said that India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world, and unless the country improves its work productivity, it will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress.
"Therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, ‘This is my country. I’d like to work 70 hours a week," Murthy said, adding that this is exactly what the Germans and Japanese did after the Second World War. "They made sure that every German worked extra hours for a certain number of years."
Reacting to his statement, Gaurav Kumar, a social media user, said that he would have agreed if the country had more jobs than people. "Sadly that is not the case."