Mumbai, January 5: Infosys founder Narayana Murthy has reiterated his controversial recommendation that young Indians work seventy hours a week, arguing that the educated class in the nation owes the less fortunate a "very hard" life. The 77-year-old defended his position in an interview with CNBC-TV18, stating that "farmers and factory workers work very hard" and that hard labour is typical in India because most people choose physically demanding careers.

"Therefore, those of us who received education at a huge discount, thanks to the subsidy from the government for all this education, owe it to the less fortunate citizens of India to work extremely hard," he stated. Narayana Murthy Says Youngsters in India Should Work 70 Hours Every Week as India's Productivity Among Lowest in World (Watch Video).

Even though Murthy drew harsh criticism on social media, he said that many "good people" and "NRIs" agreed with him. I explained it like this. I would contact someone who is far more accomplished than I am in their own field—not necessarily mine—and show them my respect. I would then ask them, "Where do you think I went wrong in saying this?" However, I was unable to locate. A lot of my friends in the West, a lot of NRIs, a lot of good people in India called me, and they were all very happy, he told CNBC-TV18. Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy Stands in Queue To Cast His Vote in Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023, Netizens Laud 'Humble Man' (Watch Video).

Moreover, Murthy revealed the specifics of his demanding work schedule at Infosys, where he claimed to put in between 85 and 90 hours a week. He asserted that he had never provided advise "without doing it myself first". Previously, his wife Sudha Murty, an author and philanthropist, stated that her family typically works a 70-hour work week, while her husband used to frequently work up to 90 hours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 05, 2024 03:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).