Work Hard Mindset Key To $30-trn Economy

I strongly believe in hard work. Indians must work hard, whether it’s 80 hours or 90 hours a week. If your ambition is to move from a $4 trillion to a $30 trn economy, you can’t do it through entertainment or by following the views of some film stars, said Amitabh Kant, former CEO, NITI Aayog

New Delhi: Indians must work hard to achieve the ambitious target of making India a $30 trillion economy by 2047, former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said. Joining the ongoing debate on working hours, India’s G20 Sherpa said Japan, South Korea and China have achieved economic success through a strong work ethic and suggested that India must cultivate a similar mindset to build a world-class economy.

“I strongly believe in hard work. Indians must work hard, whether it’s 80 hours or 90 hours a week. If your ambition is to move from a $4 trillion to a $30 trillion economy, you can’t do it through entertainment or by following the views of some film stars,” he said, while speaking at Business Standard’s Manthan summit. Currently, the size of the Indian economy is around $4 trillion.

“We have made it fashionable to talk about not working hard. Why? India must work hard to deliver projects ahead of time, with world-class excellence, without time and cost overruns,” he added.

Responding to a question on work-life balance, Kant emphasised that there is enough time for personal well-being within a disciplined work schedule. “I work every day. I exercise. I play golf, and I still manage to work hard. Keep aside one-and-a-half-hour for yourself, and you still have 22.5 hours in a day. There’s plenty of time to manage work-life balance, but don’t make it fashionable to say people shouldn’t work hard,” Kant said.