Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has backed Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy’s advice for a 70-hour workweek for young professionals.
In an interview with a news agency, Aggarwal was asked about Murthy’s recommendation for the 70-hour work week and his return as executive chairman in 2013 after retiring in 2011.
Aggarwal noted that Murthy’s return was necessary because of the state of Infosys at the time.
“I totally agree with Murthy’s youth orientation. He had to come back because of the challenges his company was facing, and he managed to turn it around. Since then, even Nandan Nilekani has come back in a non-executive chairman role and contributed more,” Aggarwal said.
Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys, was also behind the launch of Aadhaar. “When Nandan came back, Infosys also grew significantly. It’s like a parental bond; you are always attached to your company,” Aggarwal added.
Reflecting on his own entrepreneurial journey, Aggarwal said, “I am still relatively young and as an entrepreneur, you never give up. You hire professional management for day-to-day operations, but you remain emotionally and strategically involved.”
Murthy sparked widespread debate last October when he suggested that India’s work culture needed to change and young professionals should be prepared to work 70 hours a week.