NR Narayana Murthy, founder, Infosys, has urged the government to prioritise infrastructure projects, emphasising the importance of three working shifts over one. Murthy made these comments during a discussion on the development of Bengaluru in the next 5–10 years. He specifically highlighted the need to prioritise the completion of the Electronics City Metro and its expansion to other areas with numerous companies.
At the Tech Summit on 29 November 2023 Murthy, in a chat with Nikhil Kamath, co-founder, Zerodha, advised the infrastructure industry to go beyond the usual 9-to-5 routine and consider working more than one shift.
Murthy suggested that to surpass China’s growth, India should consider adopting a two-shift work culture, as many ambitious countries do. He shared examples of people working late into the night in such nations. While he couldn’t vouch for three shifts, he proposed the idea of embracing two shifts for higher productivity.
Murthy urged leaders to understand the needs of workers for three shifts, remove obstacles for entrepreneurs, and make swift decisions. In a fireside chat, he highlighted the importance of English-medium schools, infrastructure focus, and rapid government decision-making for the city’s software industry. Murthy expressed confidence that India, with quick decisions and support for entrepreneurs, could eventually outpace China’s growth, despite the current difference in economic bases.
