Infosys founder Narayana Murthy has once again weighed his views on work-life balance, productivity, and the culture of long working hours.
In a recent interview, the 79-year-old billionaire referred to China’s well-known 9-9-6 work culture to support his long-held view that young Indians should work longer hours to help India grow faster.
Murthy had earlier caused widespread discussion in 2023 when he said Indians should work 70 hours a week for nation-building. This time, he expanded on the idea by pointing to China ,a country that has grown rapidly in the past few decades and is often used as a benchmark for industrial and economic progress.
WHAT IS THE 9-9-6 RULE?
The 9-9-6 rule refers to a work schedule that was once common in Chinese tech companies, where employees were expected to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. This amounts to a 72-hour work week.
The practice became popular during China’s tech boom, especially in companies like Alibaba and Huawei, but it also drew strong criticism for causing high stress, burnout, and poor work-life balance. In 2021, China’s Supreme Court declared the 9-9-6 schedule illegal, although reports suggest that enforcement remains uneven.
Speaking to Republic TV, Murthy cited China’s approach to productivity and said young Indians should be prepared to work harder if they want the country to progress at a similar pace.
“There is a saying in China, 9, 9, 6. You know what it means? 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week. And that is a 72-hour week,” he said, adding that he believes Indian youth should follow similar working hours.
Murthy also repeated his earlier message that individuals should focus on building their careers first before worrying about work-life balance. He said people should “get a life and then worry about work-life balance”.
WHY HE THINKS INDIA NEEDS LONGER WORK HOURS
Responding to a question on whether India could realistically overtake China in manufacturing or other areas, Murthy said he believes it is possible, but only with sustained effort.
He pointed out that India has been growing at a 6.57% economic growth rate, which he described as a “reasonable pace”, but added that catching up with China — whose economy is currently about six times larger — will require extraordinary commitment from every section of society.
“If we have great ideas, if we back it up with extraordinary action in every aspect — every citizen, every bureaucrat, every politician, every corporate leader, every civil society leader — I do think we can do that. But the job is not easy,” he said.
Murthy emphasised that progress will only come if individuals set high standards for themselves. “We must realise the job is not easy. It requires each one of us to set high benchmarks for our own actions. And it is the sigma of those that will make India reach China,” he added.
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