Narayan Murthy sparks debate yet again; this time suggests 3-shift work for infrastructure sector employees
PTC News Desk: NR Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, has stated that the government must prioritise infrastructure projects and has emphasised the need for three working shifts rather than one. Murthy made the remark while discussing the need for Bengaluru's development over the next 5-10 years.
"Completing the Electronics City Metro and expanding to other areas, where there are a lot of companies located, must be prioritised," Murthy said.
His comments came during a fireside chat with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath at the Bengaluru Tech Summit held on November 29.
He urged the infrastructure industry to move beyond the traditional one-shift, "They should not work just one shift, come 11 am and go at 5 pm."
He stated that people in countries with high aspirations frequently work two shifts. He believes that if India takes a similar approach, it will be able to outperform China's growth. "People work elsewhere in the country with high aspirations - I have seen two shifts because I would return around midnight. And I've seen people working as if they're going to disappear tomorrow. So, while I cannot vouch for three shifts there, I can vouch for two shifts," he added.
"Now, if we want to be better than all those countries, why don't we say our people will work three shifts?" Murthy said.
"Ask them what the requirements are for them to complete their work by working three shifts, and provide them with that. I think there is a little bit of these things that can be done by our leaders. And if we did that, then I have no doubt why India cannot grow even faster than China, not just in growth alone. Our base is only 3.5 trillion, whereas China's is 19 trillion. But we will catch up with China, and hopefully, one day we can overtake China. But that requires making quick decisions, ensuring that all hurdles for entrepreneurs like you and others today, I'm not an entrepreneur, are removed as if there is no tomorrow."
During the fireside chat, Murthy mentioned three things: English medium schools for talented resources for the city's software industry, a focus on infrastructure, and quick government decision-making.
He also stated that Bengaluru contributes approximately 35-37% of India's total software exports. "So what it means is that you are looking at about 75 billion dollars from just Bengaluru if you look at 200 billion dollar total exports from India."
His remarks sparked a debate among social media users.
"Give triple the salary other nations are giving triple the salaries," a user wrote, while another commented, "Follow salary structure wise talking doesn't make any sense." "With all due respect. Please stop making such irrelevant statements," another person said.
- With inputs from agencies
