Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy.
Credit: PTI photo
Narayana Murthy has yet again become the target of online vitriol from Indian netizens — and this time, without even sharing his opinion on working hours.
The Infosys co-founder has reportedly bought a luxury apartment in Bengaluru's Kingfisher Towers worth Rs 50 crore. This 8,400 square feet area, four-bedroom house on the 16 floor has five car parking spaces, as per a report in The Times of India.
Four years ago, his wife Sudha Murthy, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, had bought a flat worth Rs 29 crore in the same building.
Meanwhile, netizens aren't too thrilled about Murthy's latest purchase and have been slamming him on social media ever since the news got out. Most of their criticism comes from a place of pent-up anger over Murthy's statement on the need for a 70-hour work week.
Murthy made headlines regarding his belief around work-life balance after a controversial 70-hour workweek statement that he made during a podcast with former Infosys CEO Mohandas Pai last year.
He had said, "India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity, unless we reduce corruption in the government at some level, because we have been reading, I don't know the truth of it, unless we reduce the delays in our bureaucracy in taking this decision, we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress.”
"Bro wasted 3 hours for registering the property so he will only clock 67 hours of work in the week," a user wrote on X replying to a post by Bangalore real estate reporting the co-founder's latest purchase.
"Infosys employees are instructed to work +10 more hours so that Mr. narayan murthy can buy one more flat in King fisher Tower for his grand child," another user commented.
One user shared a picture of the building and wrote: "Narayana Murthy buys Rs 50 cr luxury apartment in Bengaluru's Kingfisher Towers. He was the same person who was preaching simplicity, compassionate capitalism, and he wants people to work for 70 hours/week."
Recently, in another interview Murthy was heard opining that he was 'not very happy' when Indian companies moved from a six-day work week to a five-day one in 1986.
At the CNBC Global Leadership Summit, the Infosys co-founder defended his 70-hour work week comment again as he claimed that it was necessary for the economic growth and development for a nation like India. “I don't believe in work-life balance… I am sorry, I have not changed my view; I will take this with me to my grave,” he said.