‘Narayana Murthy must be dancing’: Karnataka’s 12-hour workday proposal triggers meme fest

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy had earlier stirred a debate by calling for a 70-hour workweek for Indian youth.

A Karnataka government proposal to increase daily work hours and overtime limits has sparked a wave of online reactions, many of them invoking Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who last year stirred debate by calling for a 70-hour workweek for Indian youth.

The reactions on the internet took a different turn, poking fun at Narayana Murthy's earlier controversial remarks. (File)

The state is reportedly considering amendments to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, and the corresponding Rules of 1963, that would push the upper limit on daily working hours from 9 to 10, and allow overtime up to 12 hours in a day. The proposed revisions would also raise the three-month cap on overtime work from 50 hours to 144 hours.

While the move is being seen as part of a broader effort to “ease business operations” in the IT and service sectors, it has drawn sharp criticism from worker unions and civil society groups.

‘Narayana Murthy hours’

Online, however, the reactions took a different turn, poking fun at Murthy's earlier controversial remarks.

"Narayana Murthy’s long-cherished dream has finally come true," quipped one user on X, referencing the Infosys co-founder’s earlier pitch for a 70-hour workweek that had triggered national debate.

Another user wrote, “Karnataka should just call them Narayana Murthy Hours,” poking fun at the state’s proposal to stretch workdays and overtime limits.

A third chimed in, “He must’ve been on the board that proposed this,” before clarifying that it was only a joke. Social media platforms were soon flooded with memes, GIFs, and sarcastic posts, including one that read, “Narayana Murthy side mein naach raha he (Murthy must be dancing on the sidelines),” summing up the online mood.

The draft proposal, if passed, would make Karnataka one of the few states to legally allow such an increase in permissible work hours, a move that may have serious implications for labour rights, mental health, and work-life balance in a sector already known for high stress.