Infosys founder says he doesn't believe in work-life balance, says weekends are a "mistake"

Stressed worker
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

  • Infosys founder Narayama Murthy pushes need for working longer hours
  • 70 hour work weeks are needed to grow productivity, he says
  • Murthy says he worked 80 hour weeks until retirement

If you find yourself dreading the weekend and wishing you could work a double shift every day, you might be Infosys founder Narayama Murthy’s dream employee.

Hvaing already spoken out against the supposedly workshy youth of today, who protested against working long hours, the Indian tech boss has revealed he doesn’t  “believe in work-life balance”, and that he won’t budge in his thinking.

Murthy went on to hit out against the very concept of weekends, claiming the idea was a mistake, and that Indian citizens need to work longer hours.

Facing India’s challenges

When asked by CNBC-TV18 if his past controversial comments on a 70 hour work week were being misunderstood, Murthy assured that he means what he says.

He pointed to the 1986 swap from a 6-day standard work week, to the now standard 5 days as a disappointment, and claims he worked over 14 hours a day, six days a week until his retirement. Murthy, the father-in-law of recent ex-British PM, Rishi Sunak, says young people should look to post WW2 Japan and Germany, where determined, disciplined, and hardworking youngsters rebuilt the nations.

Interestingly, he doesn’t point to better productivity, happiness, or money for reasons to work a double shift every day, but rather because India needs young people to work hard to improve itself.

“I think in this country, we have to work very hard because there is no substitute for hard work even if you're the most intelligent guy” he said.

Murthy previously said that young people in India have an ‘enormous responsibility to work very, very hard’ in order to support future generations.

These comments were widely criticized, and excessive working hours have been found to harm productivity amongst workers rather than contributing to higher output. It’s well established that happier and healthier workers are more productive, so Murthy’s comments haven’t been entirely welcomed.

Infosys was also criticized heavily in April 2024 for forcing its employees to return to the office.

Its ‘In-Person Collab Weeks’ acted to force more workers to return to the office, with Infosys designating six weeks per quarter as mandatory in-person collaboration periods.

You might also like

Ellen Jennings-Trace
Staff Writer

Ellen has been writing for almost four years, with a focus on post-COVID policy whilst studying for BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Cardiff, followed by an MA in Political Communication. Before joining TechRadar Pro as a Junior Writer, she worked for Future Publishing’s MVC content team, working with merchants and retailers to upload content.

Read more
office workers in pods
Google co-founder Sergey Brin reckons the next big leap in AI is possible - but only if we all ditch working from home
A stressed employee looking over some graphs
UK workers are spending more than one day per week tracking down information
woman sit on couch near laptop take break reduce stress do yoga meditation exercise to calm down self control get rid of negative emotions, bad e-mail, difficult task, problems at work concept
IT industry workers hit badly by burnout, stress - but there's still potential for success
Workers at computers in an office
Thousands of UK workers might now get a four day work week
Dell Technologies World 2024
Dell ends hybrid work policy, becomes latest tech giant to force workers back to the office full-time
Group of businesspeople negotiating gathered in modern conference room, blurred silhouettes view, meeting behind closed glass doors. Business communication, workflow, decision-making, strategy sharing
Many workers aren't sure how much their companies are set up to help them be productive
Latest in Pro
NHS
NHS IT supplier hit with major fine following ransomware attack
A business woman looking at AI on a transparent screen
Most businesses are now fully embracing AI - but aren't always protected against the risks
Hands on a laptop with overlaid logos representing network security
Winning the war on ransomware with multi-layer security
Protection from AI hacker attacks
Maintaining SAP’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability triad
A trough sensor at Overbury farm
“It's wildlife working for you” - how Agri-Tech can help revolutionize British farming as we know it
Epson EcoTank ET-4850 next to a TechRadar badge that reads Big Savings
I found the best printer deal you won't see in the Amazon Spring Sale and it's got a massive $150 saving
Latest in News
A PC gamer celebrating, sat in a gaming chair in front of a monitor
Windows 11’s Game Bar gets a fresh coat of paint, plus a tweak to work better on handhelds – and I like the direction Microsoft’s heading in here
NHS
NHS IT supplier hit with major fine following ransomware attack
A business woman looking at AI on a transparent screen
Most businesses are now fully embracing AI - but aren't always protected against the risks
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
All three rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge colors shown off in ‘official’ images
Cristiano Ronaldo promotional image for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is a playable character in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and it makes more sense than you think
inZOI.
inZOI early access won't feature Denuvo DRM after all, 'we are committed to making inZOI a highly moddable game'