Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy has done more for India’s tech story than one can ever imagine. Which is exactly why, when he goes on television and urges young Indians to work 72 hours a week, citing China’s infamous 9-9-6 culture (i:e 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week), it lands with the weight of authority.

However, one needs to realise that, in today's age, authority doesn't signify infallibility.

And this time, the data, the health evidence, and even China’s own courts are all saying something very different from Murthy’s nostalgia-tinged sermon on “sacrifice” for the building of a nation.

No, this is not about disrespecting an icon. It’s about refusing to romanticise a model that the rest of the world is slowly backing away from.

MYTH OF THE WORKAHOLIC HERO

Murthy’s core argu

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