'How to give time after 70-hour work week?' netizens mock Narayan Murthy's insights on good parenting

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who made headlines last year advocating a 70-hour work week for youth, has ignited another controversy with his recent remarks on parenting. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru earlier this week, Murthy said that parents cannot be watching movies while expecting children to focus on their studies.

“If the parents are going and seeing movies and then telling ‘children, no, no, you study,’ (that won’t work),” he said.

Murthy and his wife Sudha dedicated over three and a half hours daily to reading with their children, Akshata and Rohan, during their school years to foster discipline. However, his comments have sparked criticism online, with many questioning how working parents, especially those adhering to a 70-hour work week, can find time for their children.

One viral comment on X summed up the sentiment: “But if parents work for 72 hours as you recommend, then when will they devote time to kids?”

Narayana Murthy made emphatic headlines last year after he suggested that young people should be prepared to work 70 hours a week to improve India’s work culture and compete effectively on the global stage.

After receiving widespread backlash on social media, Murthy backed his statement in an interview saying that he used to work nearly 90 hours a week while he was setting up his company, and that has not been a waste.