Harsh Mariwala, founder and chairman of Marico took an indirect dig at NR Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work week remark at the Mint India Investment Summit 2024 on Saturday, March 30. Speaking about recruiting and workplace culture, Mariwala said, “You have to make sure that every person in the organization is motivated to work 70 hours, not just say it.”
Mariwala also said that when recruiting, he prioritizes three aspects: internal drive for success, alignment with our culture and the ability to identify and solve key problems. “Three to four years ago, I started focusing on governance. It’s not just compliance; it’s about creating a culture and values that prioritize organizational interests.” said Mariwala.
Read also: Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work week advice reaches parliament, government tells MPs…
Speaking about his business, Mariwala noted, “In the last five years, the discontinuities that have affected us are significant. We have witnessed the emergence of a modern business that now contributes 50 percent of our turnover.”
The business leader’s remark comes after Murthy’s 70-hour work week advice sparked widespread debate on social media, in which several officials and corporate honorees agreed on the need for increased productivity, while others raised questions about adequate compensation.
Narayana Murthy had in an interview with the former chief financial officer of Infosys, Mohandas Pai, said that India’s workforce should increase its productivity to compete with countries like Japan and China.
Read also: Infy’s Narayana Murthy just made his 4-month-old grandson a multi-millionaire
“India’s labor productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our labor productivity, we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made enormous progress. So, my request is that our young people say ‘this is my country. I would like to work 70 hours a week,” said the Infosys co-founder.
Murthy stressed that unless India’s youth commit to more working hours, the country will not struggle to catch up with economies that have seen remarkable progress over the past few decades.
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Published: 30 Mar 2024, 19:50 IST