Infosys founder says he doesn’t believe in work-life balance, says weekends are a “mistake”

• Infosys founder Narayama Murthy pushes need for working longer hours
• 70 hour work weeks are needed to grow productivity, he says
• Murthy says he worked 80 hour weeks until retirement

If you find yourself dreading the weekend and wishing you could work a double shift every day, you might be Infosys founder Narayama Murthy’s dream employee.

Hvaing already spoken out against the supposedly workshy youth of today, who protested against working long hours, the Indian tech boss has revealed he doesn’t  “believe in work-life balance”, and that he won’t budge in his thinking.

Murthy went on to hit out against the very concept of weekends, claiming the idea was a mistake, and that Indian citizens need to work longer hours.

Facing India’s challenges

When asked by CNBC-TV18 if his past controversial comments on a 70 hour work week were being misunderstood, Murthy assured that he means what he says.

He pointed to the 1986 swap from a 6-day standard work week, to the now standard 5 days as a disappointment, and claims he worked over 14 hours a day, six days a week until his retirement. Murthy, the father-in-law of recent ex-British PM, Rishi Sunak, says young people should look to post WW2 Japan and Germany, where determined, disciplined, and hardworking youngsters rebuilt the nations.

Interestingly, he doesn’t point to better productivity, happiness, or money for reasons to work a double shift every day, but rather because India needs young people to work hard to improve itself.

“I think in this country, we have to work very hard because there is no substitute for hard work even if you’re the most intelligent guy” he said.

Murthy previously said that young people in…