New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS) After triggering a massive debate over his statement that youth should work 70 hours a week, Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy has said that he used to be in office at 6:20 a.m.

In the 3one4 Capital's podcast titled 'The Record' in October, Murthy had suggested that India’s youth must work for 70 hours every week in order to boost the country’s productivity.

Now, the 77-year-old apparently came out in support of his statement that went viral and drew mixed reactions from people.

“I used to be in office at 6:20 a.m. and leave office at 8:30 p.m. and worked six days a week. I know every nation that became prosperous did so through hard work," Murthy told The Economic Times.

"During my entire 40-plus years of professional life, I worked 70 hours a week. When we had a six-day week till 1994, I used to work at least 85 to 90 hours a week. That has not been a waste," he added.

Murthy's remark had sparked outrage on social media. While some people agreed with him, the majority were skeptical and worried about the health implications of such a demanding work schedule.

Murthy also spoke about nation-building, technology, his company Infosys and several other topics -- including his opinion on today’s youth on the podcast.

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Infosys founder Narayana Murthy's advice to youngsters in India, urging them to work 70 hours a week, has sparked sharp reactions from founders and leaders who said that while extended working hours can boost productivity, a balanced approach is equally necessary.

During a podcast, Murthy had said that if India wants to compete with developed economies that have made remarkable progress in recent decades, youngsters should work for 70 hours a week.

Reacting to Murthy's comment, Abhishek Desai, founder of CricHeroes, told IANS that while extended working hours can boost productivity in certain contexts, "it's equally vital to focus on work-life balance, employee well-being, and harnessing technology to enhance efficiency".

"The success of countries like Japan and Germany is undoubtedly commendable, but we must also acknowledge that their work culture may not be entirely replicable in the Indian context," Desai added.

Former BharatPe Co-founder Ashneer Grover said that the public got offended at Murthy’s comment as the measure of work done still gets notified based on hours spent rather than the outcome.

"I think junta (public) got offended here because work is still being measured in ‘hours’ rather than ‘outcome’. The other thing is people feeling as if youngster’s laziness is the only thing keeping India from becoming developed," he posted on X on Friday.

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, however, agreed with Murthy's view.

"Totally agree with Murthy’s views. It’s not our moment to work less and entertain ourselves. Rather it’s our moment to go all in and build in 1 generation what other countries have built over many generations," he posted on X.

According to Shrijay Sheth, founder of Legalwiz.in, working long hours does not necessarily translate into better work, bigger outcomes and higher returns for the company. "Primarily, it is about enhanced productivity and achieving the organisational goals. Especially for workforces in the Indian context, longer working hours may result in lower efficiency and, thus, impede the realisation of business objectives," he added.

Mumbai, July 29 (IANS) Sussanne Khan, Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan's ex-wife, has lauded Infosys founder Narayan Murthy for talking about actor Kareena Kapoor Khan.

A video is doing rounds on social media, where Murthy shared how Kareena ignored her fans on a flight, which he was on as well. 

He talked about the incident and shared that he was surprised seeing the actress not responding to her fans.

Murthy said: "The other day I was coming from London, and next to me was Kareena Kapoor, sitting in her seat. So many people came to her and they said hello. She didn't even bother to react. I was a little bit surprised. Whoever came to me, I stood up, and we discussed for a minute or half a minute-that's all they were expecting."

Coming in support of Kareena, Murthy's wife Sudha said that she has a million admirers. She must have been tired. 

However, Murthy said that this was not the issue.

"The issue is that when somebody shows affection, you can also show it back, however cryptic manner you can. I think that is very important. These are all ways to reduce your ego, that's all."

The video was also shared on a new portal's Instagram handle, where Sussanne praised him. 

She wrote, "Well said Mr Murthy."

Kareena and Hrithik have together worked in films such as 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…', 'Yaadein' and 'Mujhse Shaadi Karoge'.

Bengaluru, July 8 (IANS) Startups should have only one, not more than one boss, said Narayana Murthy, founder of tech major Infosys on Saturday, sharing lessons on how to build a startup. 

"Every startup company must have only one leader. There cannot be two or three leaders. Just one leader," said Murthy in a candid conversation with his son, Rohan Murthy, Founder of Soroco at Moneycontrol Startup Conclave 2023.

"Once the managerial phase comes in, you invite managers to create systems and processes, establish protocols, invite independent directors, and have a good governance mechanism," Murthy said on devising leadership and organisational structure of a company.

Further, he stated that key attributes of entrepreneurs include "the power of imagination", "innovation" and comfort with "doing something unusual". 

"Passion fuels your energy, enthusiasm, and ability to achieve the target, and for this, the leader must have an articulated value system."

When a business is in its nascent steps, hirings should be focussed "on competence," without which, "nothing will happen". 

"The second is the value system. In the beginning, everybody has to trust everybody else implicitly. The only thing the employees have are your words. For this, you must be authentic." 

He also implores employees to work together "as a team, in unison, there is a high probability of people buying into your vision, and that vision must have something in it for everybody." 

Murthy also addressed the feeling of uncertainty and self-doubt among startup founders and advised not to panic and to trust in God. 

"You should not panic. During uncertain times, I would crack jokes in the office and talk to them about how other people have gone through such times as well, and how God is with us," he said, sharing his example.

"Sometimes, logic doesn't suffice. There are moments when one must transcend logic, embrace faith, and believe in God."

Ahmedabad, April 3 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) held its 58th annual convocation, where Infosys founder Narayana Murthy was ithe chief guest.

The ceremony was held on Sunday at the Louis Kahn Plaza, which has been the venue for all graduating students since 1974.

A total of 597 students graduated from the institure this year, with 380 from the the two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP); 48 from the two-year Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agribusiness Management (PGP-FABM); 140 from the one-year Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX); and 29 from the Ph.D. Programme in Management (Ph.D).

With the passing out of these batches, the IIM-A alumni network has now grown to 41,875, spread across the world. The institute is preparing to welcome the PGPX Class of 2023-2024 in April and the PGP and PGP-FABM classes in June 2023.

Meanwhile Pankaj R. Patel, Chairperson of the IIM-A Board of Governors, Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIM-A, Board members and faculty members also graced Sunday's event.

Delivering the Vonvocation address, Narayana Murthy said: "The most powerful instrument of a leader is leadership by example in demonstrating courage, sacrifice, hope, confidence, innovation, hard work, truth, fairness, transparency, accountability, austerity, discipline, a good value system, and open-mindedness. How you behave when you are on top and have power and wealth is your true character. In such moments, grace, courtesy, and humility shown to others reveal the real you."

Murthy also recalled how he built Infosys and the value system he carried over the years.

"No caste, religion, social background, economic background matters... only meritocracy matters in our organisation. We have the same lunch area and toilets for everyone. We do not discriminate. We have fought for our ethics and value system, we have sacrificed a lot for it, we have also gained a lot due to our value system.

"In the future, at a time when there is fog on your windshield, I hope these time-invariant ideals will serve you in gaining clarity. These ideals define the finish line. Until these ideals become your second nature, my young friends, your journey and mission will not be over. My hope for India of the future is that you, the future corporate leaders, will ensure that for all ages, for all seasons, for all regions, for all businesses, and for all people, our country will be led by the ideals I have laid out today. Be original. Be daring. Be unreasonable. Be anything that will assert the integrity of your purpose," he added.

Pankaj R. Patel, Chairperson of IIM-A Board of Governors, also addressed the gathering, saying: "As students of this institution, there is no doubt of the talent that you possess and the value that you will bring to the institutions that you will join or set-up. The expectations from you are many."

He encouraged the students to keep building on the knowledge they have gained and to continue to stay curious and explore new ideas.

Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIM-A, spoke about the institute's focus on promoting excellence through research, impactful teaching, and enabling meaningful contributions to knowledge creation in various disciplines.

Ahmedabad, April 2 (IANS) Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy on Sunday said he feels bad that he invited his mother to visit Infosys only when she was dying.

He said this after launching a biography on the life and times of Madan Mohanka, an entrepreneur and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) alumni.

The book, titled: "I Did What I Had To Do", was authored by Anjana Dutt, an advertising professional, and details Mohanka's rise to success and the belief systems that paved the way for his meteoric journey. The event took place in Ahmedabad.

In his speech, Murthy praised Mohanka's story, saying that it provides valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as business leaders.

He said, "A man who believes in action, his biography is aptly titled 'I Did What I Had To Do' and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his life, his business acumen and his dedication to education for the disadvantaged."

When asked about his own leadership journey, Murthy credited Mahatma Gandhi as his inspiration, saying, "He believed that whenever you take a decision, think of the poor people who will get affected by that decision."

He then went on to speak about his experience in building Infosys, a global leader in consulting and IT services, in the 1990s. He described how he used to take only 1/10th of his salary and give 20 per cent extra to his junior colleagues, leading by example and instilling a sense of responsibility among his team.

Murthy stressed the importance of humility, saying, "There were people smarter than me in my college and later in my industry, but humility is something that helped me soar in my career. Always have your feet on the ground."

Murthy also shared one thing he feels bad about, "I feel bad that I invited my mother to visit Infosys only when she was dying. I was so busy building Infosys."

Murthy also shared his thoughts on the importance of faculty members understanding industry happenings, stating that management is all about utilising resources to achieve a certain objective. "Faculty members can also help CEOs in building a better company," he said.

Mohanka, born in 1943, is an octogenarian who has witnessed post-liberalisation India and has contributed significantly to the country's growth as a financial capital of the world.

The book, based on extensive interviews with Mohanka and his family, friends, classmates, and colleagues, provides insights into his early life, the impact of his learnings at IIM-A, his entrepreneurial genius, his decision-making abilities in times of crisis, and the value systems that helped him overcome the challenges he faced along the way.