Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy’s suggestion that the youth of the country should volunteer to work 70 hours a week for India’s development has drawn flak from across the board — from software engineers and human resource professionals in the information technology (IT) industry to trade unions.
“It is only a thinly veiled endorsement of more inhuman exploitation of the Indian working class. Forcing employees to work longer hours would not only lead to physical and mental exhaustion but also infringe upon their fundamental rights,” said Sooraj Nidiyanga, general secretary, Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union.
HR professionals think that such a move could, in fact, prove counterproductive. B.S. Murthy, CEO of HumanCapital and an HR analyst, said it was disheartening to know the Indian workforce efforts were still measured in hours and not in terms of smart work done.
