This CEO Backs Narayana Murthy's Idea, Says PM Works For 14-16 Hours Daily

A day after Narayana Murthy suggested a 70-hour work week, JSW Chairman Sajjan Jindal on Friday threw his weight behind the Infosys co-founder. Mr Jindal believed that India's specific circumstances, distinct from those of some developed economies, make it crucial for the country not to adopt "shorter work weeks" as the norm.

"I wholeheartedly endorse Mr Narayana Murthy's statement. It's not about burnout, it's about dedication. We have to make India an economic superpower that we can all be proud of in India 2047," Mr Jindal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"A 5-day week culture is not what a rapidly developing nation of our size needs," he added.

Sajjan Jindal also went on to cite the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said that he works for over 14-16 hours every day.

“Our PM @narendramodi ji works over 14-16 hours every day. My father used to work 12-14 hours, 7 days a week. I work 10-12 hours every day. We have to find passion in our work and in nation-building.” 

“Our circumstances are unique and the challenges we face are distinct from the developed nations. They are working 4 or 5 days a week because their earlier generations clocked longer & more productive hours. We can't let shorter work weeks elsewhere become our standard,” he added.

India's greatest strength is our youth, and in our journey to become a superpower, this generation has to prioritise work over leisure, Mr. Jindal said.

"As we progress, there will be opportunities for comfort, and the youth of 2047 will reap the benefits of our sacrifices and diligence," he wrote on X.

Mr Jindal, however, faced backlash from X users in the comments.

A user wrote, “Would like to see you take the public commute to work and then work for 70 hours a week. What about our personal life? Should we give it up altogether? Stop using our PM's name to further your nefarious thoughts. FYI, Indians are amongst the most overworked workforce in the world.”

Someone else suggested they should receive additional pay if they must work extra hours. 

“Days of earning today and living tomorrow are gone. Don't blabber just like that. If you want employees to work more hours, link the pay to the number of hours. Can't be a one-way traffic,” another comment read.