Congress MP Manish Tewari Supports Narayana Murthy's 70-Hour Work Week, Advocates Strong Work Ethic

Congress Member of Parliament Manish Tewari has voiced his support for Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's controversial statement endorsing a 70-hour work week. Tewari, taking to the microblogging site X, expressed his confusion over the criticism surrounding Murthy's remarks, asserting that many public representatives, including himself, work tirelessly for 12-15 hours a day, seven days a week.

Responding to a critical news opinion piece on Murthy's stance, Tewari defended the concept of a demanding work schedule. He emphasized that working 70 hours a week, with one day off and 15 days of vacation in a year, should become the norm for India to emerge as a great power, provided there is enough work to justify such hours.

Tewari's statements came in the wake of a nationwide debate triggered by Narayana Murthy's remarks during the inaugural episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record.' Murthy argued that unless India's youth commit to longer working hours, the country may struggle to catch up with economies that have made significant progress in recent decades.

The debate has seen varied opinions, with Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal supporting Murthy's perspective, emphasizing that the current time demands more commitment to work rather than less. On the other hand, comedian Vir Das took a satirical approach, indirectly referencing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and making a humorous comment about the challenges of balancing work and personal life.

The discussion on work hours comes against the backdrop of recent data from the International Labour Organization (ILO), revealing that Indians already rank among the hardest workers globally. As of 2023, each employed individual in India clocks an average of 47.7 hours per week, securing the seventh position in the global ranking, behind countries like Qatar, Congo, Lesotho, Bhutan, Gambia, and the United Arab Emirates.