'We are that generation': Sanjeev Sanyal after Kotak's Nilesh Shah says one gen has to work for 12 hrs a day

Noted economist Sanjeev Sanyal on Sunday said that current and next generations must play a pivotal role in ensuring a sustainable future. Sanyal acknowledged the need for sustained effort across generations, but added a crucial element often missing from such discussions: procreation.

He was referring to a podcast in which Nilesh Shah, CEO of Kotak AMC said that one generation needs to put in a few extra hours like the way Koreans, Japanese, Chinese do so that India grows at a faster pace. They work for 12 hours a day- every day, every month and every year.

"I agree. One generation will have to put in that effort ….. and unlike the examples mentioned, also remember to procreate. It is doable (with the occasional break). We are that generation and perhaps the next one," Sanjeev Sanyal wrote on X.

Sanyal highlighted a dual responsibility: not only must the current generation work diligently towards sustainable practices, but they must also ensure the continuation of human population to maintain a balanced demographic structure. 

"If you work hard like them, then there is no doubt that India will continue to grow and reach its peak and a time will come when there will be no one like sub-saharan Africa in this country. This hard work will put everyone into middle income and upper income in India," Nilesh Shah said in the podcast.

Last October, the 77-year-old Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy sparked a major debate by suggesting that India's work culture needs to change and that young people should be ready to work 70 hours a week. In an interview with India Today, he explained his comment, saying, "I used to work 85-90 hours a week until I retired."

The entrepreneur also clarified that he doesn't believe the number of hours worked is important.

"All that it means is, that you have to be very productive, you have to work very hard like the Germans did after World War I, like the Japanese did and we owe it to the poor people in our society to work hard and make the quality of their life a little bit better," said Murthy.