Friday, 07 Nov, 2025
Photo courtesy: Pixabay
Work culture in India splits sharply by sector. Services, despite its flexible image, logs the longest workweek at 54.6 hours—well above industry at 47.6 and agriculture at 37.8
India’s long-hours economy shows no sign of slowing. Even as new jobs emerge and wages inch higher, the culture of overwork remains deeply embedded—from factory floors to tech parks. The clock rarely stops ticking.
In 2023, that reality burst into the spotlight when Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy urged young professionals to work 70 hours a week to boost national productivity. L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan went further, calling for 90-hour weeks and Sunday shifts. The remarks triggered a firestorm—part outrage, part introspection—because for many Indians, such marathon schedules aren’t aspirational. They are already a way of life.
Growth on borrowed time
Behind the debate lies a larger truth: India’s growth story runs on long workdays. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Indian workers clocked an average of 45.7 hours a week in 2024—a modest dip from 46.7 hours the year before, yet still among the world’s highest. Bhutan tops the list at 54.4 hours, followed by the UAE (50.8) and Sudan (50.7). India sits firmly within the world’s 20 busiest nations, a club dominated by developing economies.
Advanced economies, by contrast, record far fewer hours, supported by stronger labour protections and robust social safety nets. China, based on its 2016 data, logged 46.1 hours—mirroring India’s intensity as both countries chase rapid industrialisation and urban growth. The comparison underscores a familiar pattern: emerging markets often rely on longer workweeks to stay competitive, even at the expense of rest and recovery.
The sectoral divide
The work culture also splinters sharply by industry. The services sector, often praised for its flexibility and innovation, demands the longest average workweek—54.6 hours—well above industry (47.6) and agriculture (37.8). This is the world of information technology, finance, and communications—the engines of modern India’s economy. Yet these are also the spaces where the line between professional and personal life dissolves most easily.
Connectivity, once celebrated as a tool for efficiency, has become a double-edged sword. Emails, client calls, and deliverables spill deep into the night. What once ended at the office desk now stretches endlessly across devices and time zones.
Factories and construction sites tell a parallel story—tight production schedules and global supply-chain pressures keep shifts running long and hard. Agriculture may appear lighter on paper but remains physically punishing and bound to the uncertainty of seasons. Together, these realities trace an economy still straddling two worlds: one of traditional labour and another of perpetual digital hustle.
A culture of exhaustion
Murthy’s comments—and the backlash that followed—exposed a deeper cultural tension. For decades, long hours have been worn as a badge of honour, signalling loyalty, ambition, and drive. During India’s high-growth years, “hustle culture” became a middle-class mantra. Startups romanticised sleeplessness, burning the midnight oil became shorthand for success.
But the costs are mounting. Surveys point to rising burnout, high attrition, and worsening mental health among young professionals. The pandemic only magnified these strains. The shift to remote work erased boundaries entirely, transforming homes into 24-hour offices.
Increasingly, the debate is shifting—from how long Indians work to how productively they do it. Economists argue that productivity isn’t about hours logged but value created. Long days often conceal inefficiencies: rigid hierarchies, outdated workflows, and weak managerial planning.
The future of work
Technology is rewriting the narrative yet again. As artificial intelligence and automation spread, the challenge may soon flip—from overwork to underemployment. Machines are taking over repetitive tasks, pushing humans toward creative and supervisory roles. The irony is striking: millions still work too much, while others may soon struggle to find enough to do.
The way forward lies not in working harder, but smarter. Strengthening labour protections, encouraging flexible schedules, and improving workplace efficiency are essential. Just as important is recognising that rest and leisure aren’t luxuries—they’re prerequisites for sustainable productivity.
India’s next phase of growth will hinge not just on how hard its people work, but on how well they live while doing it. The real test of progress won’t be hours logged but balance achieved—between prosperity and peace of mind.
For a nation that takes pride in its relentless drive, it may be time to redefine success—not by the ticking of the clock, but by the quality of life it allows to unfold.
