'Demographic Decline...': Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu Joins Narayana Murthy's 70-Hour Work Week Debate - Post

Sridhar Vembu, CEO of Zoho posted on X about the 70-hour workweek culture. He spoke about the social ramifications of having such long working hours.

Sridhar Vembu On 70-hour Work Week

"The rationale behind the 70-hour work week is "it is necessary for economic development". If you look at East Asia - Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China have all developed through extreme hard work, often imposing punitive levels of work on their own people. These very countries also have such low birth rates now that their governments have to beg people to make babies."

"Two questions arise: 1) is such hard work necessary for economic development? 2) is such a development even worth the price of a lonely old age for a large mass of people?

My response to the first question is that it is enough if only a small percentage of the population drive themselves hard. Please note the "drive themselves" - I am in that camp but I am not willing to prescribe this to anyone else. Some percentage of the population will drive themselves hard (may be 2-5%). I believe that is sufficient for broad based economic development, and the rest of us can have decent work life balance. I believe such a balance is needed.

On the second question, no it is not worth it. I don't want India to replicate China's economic success if the price is China's steep demographic decline (which has already started). India is already at replacement level fertility (southern states well below that already) and further declines to East Asian levels won't be good.

I do believe we can develop without needing to work ourselves to demographic suicide."

70-Hour Work Week Debate

The debate about a 70-hour work week began when Infosys founder Narayan Murthy supported the idea vehemently.

Speaking at an event in Kolkata, he pointed out that 800 million people in India still depend on free rations. Murthy urged the younger generation to take responsibility and embrace hard work to help the nation compete globally

Murthy highlighted that India’s growth depends on its ability to overcome widespread poverty. "In our country, 800 million people depend on free rations. If we are not ready to work hard, who will?" he asked. He emphasized that long working hours are essential to create jobs, boost incomes, and achieve sustainable development.  

He also recalled how, at Infosys, they always compared themselves with the best global companies. "We Indians still have a lot of catching up to do," he said, adding that dedication and discipline are key to India’s transformation.