‘Narayan Murthy Competition’: Viral post on ‘84-hr work week’ revives debate on India’s work culture  

A post on the Reddit titled “Narayan Murthy competition: Mr Joshi would like an 84-hour work week” has gone viral, reigniting conversations around India’s work culture, productivity, and the elusive balance between personal and professional life. 

The post highlighted a LinkedIn note by Hardik Joshi, an ICR Analyst at Franklin Templeton, who credited South Korea’s rise in the automobile industry to “relentless work ethic, cultural discipline, and generational commitment to skill-building.” Joshi pointed out that the country’s economic transformation was powered by “84-hour work weeks, children spending hours after school with tutors, [and] a society aligned on one goal: progress.” 

 

 

 

 

Turning the spotlight on India, he wrote: “We have the population. We have the talent. We have the hunger. But do we have the collective alignment? Economic growth isn’t magic. It’s math.” 

Netizens shared their thoughts on the issue, which reflected sharply divided opinions. One user argued that while South Korea may showcase high productivity, the model comes with hidden costs: “Most new generations in Asian countries look cool but deep down most of them are depressed and avoid people’s contact — this includes people, family and friends.” 

Another commenter raised demographic concerns, noting, “Many countries are on the brink of extinction due to low marriage rates and many choosing no kids or even not getting married. We are already seeing the DINK concept, and probably in a few decades we will see the concept of bloodline starting to vanish.” 

Earlier call for longer hours 

The debate brings to the light Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy’s past remarks advocating a 70-hour work week for India’s youth. Speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce’s centenary celebrations in Kolkata, Murthy said that hard work is essential if India aspires to global leadership. He had also criticised India’s decision to shift from a six-day to a five-day work week in 1986, saying he never supported the move.  

L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan had also suggested a 90-hour workweek, including Sundays, as a benchmark for extraordinary results. Following backlash, L&T clarified that Subrahmanyan’s comments were intended to inspire extraordinary efforts for nation-building, not to set a rigid standard. 

It is to be noted that many industrialists like Harsh Goenka, Anand Mahindra, Rajiv Bajaj and others advocated against long working hours.