Sudha Murthy opens up on husband Narayana Murthy's ‘70-hour’ work-week remark: When people are passionate…'

Murthy spoke for the first time on the issue and emphasised that when people are passionate about their work, time never becomes a limitation.

Author-philanthropist Sudha Murthy recently weighed in on the 70-hour work-week debate, triggered by her husband Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's suggestion for youth to consider longer work hours.

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and his author-philanthropist wife Sudha Murty.(YouTube/NetflixIndia)

Sudha Murthy, in an interview with NDTV, emphasised that when people are passionate about their work, time never becomes a limitation.

Sudha Murthy further explained that at the beginning of his career, her husband worked more than 70 hours per week which is why the vision of building Infosys with minimal funds was made possible.

"There's no magic wand that could make Infosys so large. It was sheer hard work, part of luck, part of the correct timing or in the correct place, everything is there," NDTV quoted Sudha Murthy.

Sudha Murthy's 'sacrifices'

Addressing the personal sacrifices made during those years, Sudha Murthy reflected on how she balanced family life with her husband's demanding career.

"I made that decision, and I also decided there was no point cribbing and telling your husband, Oh, you are not there, because he is doing a bigger work," she added.

Murthy also acknowledged that this level of dedication to work is not unique to her husband and that professionals in other fields, such as doctors and journalists, often worked similarly long hours to achieve their goals.

"I learnt that I have to make my own path to being occupied and not think that, 'I don't have time or you don't have time,' and enjoy that. I used to write, but I started writing a little more," she said.

Reflecting on the nature of time itself, Sudha Murthy concluded, "God has given 24 hours to all, whether you are "rich or poor, beautiful or ugly," she said.

"How you want to spend it is left to you. And if you want to do anything passionately, it requires time. And if you are passionate about your work, then your partner should support it," she concluded.

During a podcast in 2023, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy said that the country's work productivity was "one of the lowest in the world."

Citing examples of Germans and Japanese during the Second World War, Murthy suggested that youngsters should consider working for "70 hours a week," a remark that sparked widespread debate on work-life balance.