I used to be in office at 6.20 am: Narayana Murthy

After triggering a massive debate over his statement that youth should work 70 hours a week, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy has said that he used to be in office at 6.20 am.

Speaking in the 3one4 Capital's podcast titled The Record in October, Murthy had suggested that India’s youth must work 70 hours every week in order to boost the country’s productivity.

Now, the 77-year-old has apparently come out in support of his statement, which went viral and drew mixed reactions from people.

“I used to be in office at 6.20 am and leave office at 8.30 pm, and worked six days a week. I know every nation that became prosperous did so through hard work," Murthy told The Economic Times.

"During my entire 40-plus years of professional life, I worked 70 hours a week. When we had a six-day week until 1994, I used to work at least 85 to 90 hours a week. That has not been a waste," he added.

Murthy's earlier remarks had sparked outrage among sections of social media users. While some people agreed with him, the majority were sceptical and worried about the health implications of such a demanding work schedule.

Murthy also spoke about nation-building, technology, his company Infosys and several other topics — including his opinion on today’s youth — on the podcast.