Chidambaram backs Murthy, L&T chief: 'They are qualified to speak about longer hours of work for Indians'

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has expressed support for Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and L&T Chairperson SN Subrahmanyan amid ongoing debates over their recent remarks advocating longer work hours for Indians.

In an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Chidambaram acknowledged that while their statements have sparked controversy, they reflect a perspective aimed at enhancing productivity in a developing country.  

Murthy, in October 2023, proposed that young Indians should work 70 hours a week, citing the country's low productivity. "India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world...therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, ‘this is my country, I want to work 70 hours a week',” Murthy had said.

Subrahmanyan went a step further, suggesting a 90-hour work week for his employees. During an official interaction, he said, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest. I will be more than happy to make you work on Sundays; I work on Sundays.”  

Chidambaram noted that the reactions to these statements may have overlooked the broader context. "Having achieved enormous success and reached the top, I think NRN and SNS are qualified to speak about ‘longer’ hours of work for Indians,” he wrote. He argued that their remarks were not directed at workers engaged in repetitive tasks but aimed at inspiring the aspirational youth to embrace hard work as a means to build a prosperous nation.  

The former finance minister referenced the historical evolution of the eight-hour workday, first legislated in Germany in 1918, and acknowledged its relevance for industrial and desk workers performing repetitive tasks. However, he noted that this norm does not uniformly apply to all professions. 

“Farmers, especially self-employed farmers, do not follow the 8-8-8 norm,” he wrote, adding that professionals such as doctors, lawyers, and scientists often work far beyond the traditional eight-hour day.  

Chidambaram also highlighted the potential impact of technological advancements on work norms, suggesting that automation, robotics, and AI could lead to shorter working hours without sacrificing productivity.  

On his own experience, Chidambaram said he enjoys long working hours that include various activities such as practising law, parliamentary work, writing, and public engagement. “Work-life balance is something that each individual has to discover for himself or herself, and I am happy that I have discovered mine.”   

According to the senior Congress leader, the two leaders were advocating for a cultural shift. “I believe NRN and SNS were exhorting the aspirational young generation to imbibe the lesson that it is long hours of productive work that will make a developing country truly rich and improve the lives of millions of people,” he wrote.  

Chidambaram observed that while their comments may have sparked a heated debate, this discourse could ultimately encourage people to reassess their approach to work and productivity. “In my view, there was nothing controversial about the remarks made by NRN and SNS. If anything, their words may have had the unintended effect of provoking people to think. Which may not be a bad thing in the search for work-life balance!”