Narayan Murthy’s Advice: Treat Employees with Respect & Reduce Pay Disparity
Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy has urged businesses and entrepreneurs to treat their employees with dignity and fairness. He also emphasized the need to reduce the gap between the highest and lowest salaries within companies. Murthy shared these insights at the TiECon Mumbai 2025 event.
Murthy stated that every corporate employee deserves respect and dignity. He suggested that employees should be appreciated publicly and criticized privately. Additionally, he recommended that companies distribute benefits fairly among all employees whenever possible.
Looking ahead, Murthy expressed optimism about India’s future, stating that poverty will eventually be eradicated. However, he believes true development will only occur when businesses and entrepreneurs embrace capitalism. According to him, India cannot succeed with its current socialist mindset. He argued that capitalism fosters innovation, enabling people to generate wealth for themselves and their investors, create jobs, and ultimately reduce poverty.
Controversy Over 70-Hour Work Week Suggestion
In October 2023, Murthy sparked debate by advising young Indians to work 70 hours a week to help make India a global leader. His statement divided opinions on social media, drawing both criticism and support.
In December 2024, he reiterated his views, emphasizing that young people must work hard to make India the world’s leading nation. He pointed out that 800 million Indians receive free ration, which indicates widespread poverty. Murthy questioned who would work hard if those capable of doing so did not step up.
