Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal under fire for advocating 70-hour work week: Medical experts warn of premature death
Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal voiced his support for a 70-hour work week, echoing sentiments put forth earlier by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. Aggarwal, in a podcast appearance, emphasized his belief that such intensive work hours are essential for fostering national economic growth, despite facing criticism on social media.
«When Mr. Murthy said that (70-hour work week), I was publicly in support of that and I got trolled on social media for that. But, I don’t care because I have a strong belief that one generation will have to do tapasya… so that we can build the number 1 country in the world, the largest economy,» Aggarwal remarked.
Aggarwal also dismissed the concept of work-life balance, asserting, «I don’t agree with the work-life balance concept because if you are enjoying your work, you will find happiness in life also and work also, and both of them will be in harmony.»
Health Risks Highlighted by Expert
However, senior neurologist Dr. Sudhir Kumar from Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad cautioned against such prolonged work hours, citing significant health risks associated with extended periods of work. Dr. Kumar highlighted studies linking long work weeks—exceeding 55 hours—to heightened risks of stroke, ischemic heart disease, and even premature death.
«Working long hours is associated with increased risk of multiple serious diseases and even premature death,» Dr. Kumar emphasized in a social media post. He noted that annually, more than 800,000 fatalities are attributed to excessive working hours,
