The co-founder and CEO of digital finance platform Rupifi has backed Narayana Murthy’s call for bringing China’s 9-9-6 work culture to India. Anubhav Jain took to LinkedIn on Tuesday to make a case for 72-hour work weeks, framing them as an important factor in nation building.
Jain, who launched Bengaluru-headquartered Rupifi in 2018 with Jawaid Iqbal and Ankit Singh, said in his LinkedIn post that “India needs more 9-9-6 today”.
“As a nation, we need people who work hard and build this country. It's not about startups and it's not about glorifying staying late in office. It's about commitment and hard work. It's about pushing the boundaries. It's about contributing to the society and to the overall development,” he wrote.
What is the 9-9-6 work system?
The 9-9-6 rule refers to a work culture commonly associated with some Chinese tech companies, particularly in the past decade. It describes a schedule where employees are expected to work 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week.
Employees following this rule effectively work 72 hours a week. However, the practice was widely criticised for being highly demanding and stressful, potentially affecting health and work-life balance.
{{/usCountry}}Employees following this rule effectively work 72 hours a week. However, the practice was widely criticised for being highly demanding and stressful, potentially affecting health and work-life balance.
{{/usCountry}}In 2021, the Chinese Supreme Court outlawed the 9-9-6 working hour system.
Naryana Murthy calls for 72-hour weeks
In a recent interview with Republic TV, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy suggested that Indian youngsters must adopt the 9-9-6 system. (Also read: Narayana Murthy points to China’s 9-9-6 rule to advocate 72-hour work week)
“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 young people in India should follow the same hours.
The billionaire added that one should first "get a life and then worry about work-life balance".
Anubhav Jain weighs in
Bengaluru-based Rupifi CEO Anubhav Jain agreed with Narayana Murthy.
He claimed that it was 9-9-6 which helped China progress, and Indians must work longer hours too.
“9 AM to 9 PM for 6 days in a week - 72 hours of work every week - that is what pushed China to the level it is today. If India needs to move ahead and become the land we all envision it to be, we need to set the tone for working harder,” Jain said.
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Like Murthy, Jain also quoted the example of PM Narendra Modi. “The respected PM of this country works 100 hours a week. And that is what each one of us need to do,” he said.
Jain added that all Indians — not just entrepreneurs, but people in every job — should take responsibility for the nation’s growth by working more and pushing themselves.
On work-life balance
The idea of working 72 hours a week naturally faced backlash from employees worried about how it would affect their work-life balance.
While Narayana Murthy in his interview said one should first "get a life and then worry about work-life balance", Jain presented another argument.
He said that if the nation progresses, work-life balance will follow. “The younger generations need to be shown the way towards creating a brighter future for themselves - work life balance and quality of life will improve once the entire nation moves ahead,” he wrote.
Narayana Murthy trends on Google
Narayana Murthy’s remarks led to his name trending on Google Trends.
The trend began around 5.15 pm on November 18 and spiked intermittently through the evening. Today, the search volume for “Narayana Murthy” peaked around 12.40 pm.
The maximum number of searches on Google came from Karnataka — which the Murthy’s home state — followed by Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.