NEW DELHI: Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy, a cardiologist based in Bangalore, responded to Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy's statement that Indian youth should work 70 hours a week. Dr Krishnamurthy's response was posted on social media and highlighted the potential health risks of such extensive work hours, particularly about cardiovascular diseases.
In his post, Dr Deepak labelled Narayana Murthy's statement as illogical and inhumane. He emphasized that working 70 hours a week can lead to numerous health problems, with a primary focus on the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
He provided a breakdown of an average office worker's day when working 70 hours a week, highlighting the minimal time available for essential activities and personal life. Dr Deepak pointed out the lack of time for family interactions, exercise, leisure, and other essential activities.
24 hours per day (as far as I know)
— Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy (@DrDeepakKrishn1) October 27, 2023
If you work 6 days a week - 12h per day
Remaining 12h
8 hours sleep
4 hours remain
In a city like Bengaluru
2 hours on road
2 hours remain - Brush, poop, bathe, eat
No time to socialise
No time to talk to family
No time to exercise… https://t.co/dDTKAPfJf8
Furthermore, he raised concerns about work-related phone calls and emails, which could encroach on personal time. Dr Deepak questioned whether this demanding work schedule could potentially lead to serious health issues, particularly heart attacks. He also called on the government to create more job opportunities to address youth unemployment.
Sajjan Jindal, Chairman of the JSBU Group and an industrialist, expressed his support for Narayana Murthy's call for increased working hours. Jindal noted that the five-day work culture may not be conducive to India's rapid growth and stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his father worked long hours every day of the week.
NR Narayana Murthy's original statement advocated for the need for Indian youth to work at least 70 hours a week to enhance India's production capacity and compete with other countries like China and Japan. His remarks were part of a podcast conversation with former Infosys CFO Mohan Das Pai on the 3 One 4 Capital program.