Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy has urged businesses to treat employees fairly and reduce the income gap between top executives and lower-level workers. Speaking at TiE Con Mumbai 2025, he emphasized the need for ethical leadership, fair wages, and a compassionate work culture.
Murthy stressed a key principle: “Praise in public, criticize in private.” He urged leaders to ensure that all employees share in corporate success, rather than only executives benefitting. In his view, motivated employees lead to stronger companies and a thriving economy.
A major concern he raised was income inequality, where CEOs often earn significantly more than their employees. Murthy encouraged businesses to adopt transparent salary structures, fair bonuses, and equal growth opportunities. He believes that bridging this gap will increase motivation, productivity, and employee loyalty.
He also championed compassionate capitalism, a model where businesses not only generate wealth but also uplift their workforce. “Capitalism is about creating jobs, fostering innovation, and reducing poverty, not just maximizing profits,” Murthy stated.
This speech follows his previous controversial 70-hour workweek remark, which sparked debate. While he still promotes hard work, his latest stance focuses on fair pay and ethical treatment of employees.
Murthy’s message is clear: Businesses must treat employees as valued contributors, not just resources. He calls on entrepreneurs to adopt fairness, respect, and responsible leadership to build a stronger workforce and a better India.
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