Explainer: What is the ‘996’ work culture that Narayana Murthy has pitched for India & why did China declare it illegal?

When Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy recently urged young Indians to embrace a 72-hour workweek, his comments rekindled a fierce debate — not least because he pointed to China’s infamous “996” work culture as a benchmark. “9 am to 9 pm, six days a week – that’s 72 hours,” he said, arguing that for India to accelerate its growth, a similar ethic might be necessary. Speaking in an interview, he justified his remark on extended working hours and said, “Last year, Catamaran senior and middle level staff went to China and they went to tier 1 cities, tier 2 cities and tier 3 cities. They stayed in tier-3 kind of hotels because we wanted to understand the real China. And you know there is a saying there, 9, 9, 6. You know what it means? 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week.” Once celebrated f