Popular actor and entrepreneur Suniel Shetty has backed the statement of Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy who said young people should work 70 hours a week to level up the country's productivity.
Murthy's remarks were lambasted for apparently promoting an 'overwork culture' by some and praised by a few others for trying to stoke the young ones into action.
In a LinkedIn Post, Shetty said that the way he sees things when a man of Narayana Murthy says something, "you listen carefully, analyse for yourself and take the best out of it."
"Even though this is a contentious issue, it's important to stop & think about what he really meant. For me, it really isn't about the number of hours. It isn't about 70 or 100-hour weeks. The way I read his thoughts is simple - It's about going beyond your comfort zone," he said.
The actor shared examples of individuals like Virat Kohli, Amitabh Bachchan, Ratan Tata and Abdul Kalam who excelled in their respective fields.
"Do we really think any of these individuals got to where they did in life, by playing within their comfort zones? Do we really think any of these individuals spent the early years of their careers worrying about whether they were striking the right balance between work & life?" he wrote.
"Why I see Mr Murthy's statement for what it was really trying to convey, is because I do believe that young adults should spend their earliest years pushing their boundaries," Suniel Shetty said.
Suniel Shetty said that there should be life beyond work and it is important to have time for family, health, nurturing a hobby, friends and other things that brings joy and make life richer.
"But it's also true that the world is evolving rapidly. Technology & AI are reshaping the world more than we can imagine. And we need to keep getting better. My dear future leaders - thrive for excellence, put in the hard work & cultivate your skills. Find mentors, build networks & invest in soft skills. The rest will fall into place," he concluded.
Narayana Murthy's Statement
In a conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai in the inaugural episode of 3one4 Capital's podcast 'The Record,' Murthy said that youngsters should put in extra hours at work to compete with leading economies.
"India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity...we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress," Murthy said, comparing India with China, Japan and Germany.
"So therefore, my request is that our youngsters must say, 'This is my country. I'd like to work 70 hours a week," he added.
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