The chairman of Marico disagrees with Narayana Murthy's proposal for a "70-hour work week," saying that the end goal should be

 The chairman of Marico disagrees with Narayana Murthy's proposal for a "70-hour work week," saying that the end goal should be

Chairman of the Marico Group Harsh Mariwala has voiced his opinions on the X platform during the discussion that Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy started, supporting the lengthy working hours.

Mariwala asserts that although hard effort is unquestionably the foundation of success, "it is not about the hours clocked in." It matters how well and passionately one spends those hours.

Why Mint Explainer: Narayana Murthy's demand for a seventy-hour workweek is unrealistic

Mariwala supported the notion of setting obstacles for the youth to encourage learning and development.

The chairman of the Parachute oil firm said on Sunday, "People are naturally inclined to give their best when they recognize a path where hard work translates to a positive future."

He continued by saying that it is critical for organizations to foster a culture free from backbiting, gossip, and political scheming and based on openness, trust, and meritocracy.

"The ultimate objective ought to become to make work so invigorating and rewarding that the framework of work-life balance automatically integrates," Mariwala said.

Mariwala said, "When recent graduates are passionate and see purpose in what they undertake, the need to 'balance' becomes an optimal combination of personal and professional fulfillment" .

When Infosys co-founder Narayana said on X last week that young people should work 70 hours a week to increase the nation's output, it caused a little commotion.

In the first episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast, "The Record," Murthy spoke with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and suggested that young people should work longer hours in order to compete with developed countries.

India has among of the lowest rates of labor productivity worldwide. He compared India with China, Japan, and Germany and stated, "Unless we increase our work productivity, we am not going to be able to compete with all of these nations that have made tremendous progress."

Thus, I kindly ask that our children declare, 'This is my nation.'" "I want to work seventy hours a week," he continued.

Some criticized Murthy's comments for seemingly encouraging a culture of "overwork," while others applauded him for his efforts to inspire the younger generation to take action.

Ola Cabs CEO Bhavish Aggarwal also tweeted, stating, "I completely agree with Mr. Murthy's views. We shouldn't be using this opportunity to relax and work less. Instead, this is our chance to fully commit and construct in a single generation what other nations have taken many decades to create."

Ashneer Grover, the creator of BharatPe, believes that the reason why Murthy's comment shocked many was because "work is still measured in 'hours' rather than 'outcome'".

Ronnie Screwvala, the creator of upGrad, disagreed with Murthy as well. "Increasing productivity isn't just about working longer hours," the author said. It all comes down to upskilling, creating a happy work atmosphere, and being paid fairly for the task you do. "Work quality is more important than logging more hours."

The chairman and managing director of JSW Group, Sajjan Jindal, agreed with Narayan Murthy's assertion. He made the case that India is not a country that fits the 5-day work week ethic, using Prime Minister Modi and his father as examples.

"I fully support Mr. Narayana Murthy's statement," he commented on X. It's devotion that matters, not exhaustion. India needs to become a global economic powerhouse in which we can all take pride.