I spent lonely, hungry, cold, angry 21 hours in goods compartment...: Narayan Murthy shares an anecdote from his job in Paris
Infosys, on Monday shared his insights on 'Compassionate Capitalism' at the Kalichand Memorial Lecture in Mumbai. During his speech, the 78-year-old said, the question of stark poverty and inequity in India has been troubling him right from that day when he spent lonely, hungry, cold, angry, and introspective 21 hours in the goods compartment on a freight train from Nis in now Serbia to Istanbul, way back in 1974 on his hitchhiking trip, returning back to India after his job in Paris.
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«I have had some success in demonstrating the power of entrepreneurship in solving the problem of poverty through my experiment of creating Infosys. When I look at the big canvas of India, there is not a single day when I do not feel confused, helpless, agitated and motivated that our leaders will find a solution to this problem,» said Murthy.
Recently, Murthy's controversial comments about India's work productivity made headlines. He had suggested that to improve productivity and compete globally, India’s youth should commit to working extra hours, as seen in countries like Japan and Germany after World War II. His suggestion to return to a 6-day workweek and extend work hours sparked nationwide discussions.
«We must remember that with a per-capita (income) of $2,300, India is a poor country,» he told ET last year. «For us to become a middle-income country (with
