Narayana Murthy article about ‘limited interaction between girls and boys’ is not genuine
The screenshot of a Hindustan Times article appearing to describe comments by N. R. Narayana Murthy is not genuine
CLAIM
A screenshot widely circulating on Indian social media accounts purported to show a Hindustan Times article titled: “Narayana Murthy advocates limited interaction between young girls and boys for success.”
BACKGROUND
A screenshot appearing to be from the Hindustan Times was widely shared around Indian X accounts on Tuesday, January 7.
It showed an image of Indian billionaire businessman, N. R. Narayana Murthy, apparently contained in an article by ‘HT News Desk’ titled: “Narayana Murthy advocates limited interaction between young girls and boys for success.”
The subhead for the article was also included above the image of Murthy. It read: “Narayana Murthy emphasised that GenZ is shooting itself in its foot by getting into relationships, situationships, dating and other drama. They must instead focus on hustling and building the nation.”
The image was shared widely on X, including here, here, here, here, here and here.
Murthy is a prominent businessman in India as one of the co-founders of Infosys, a multinational tech company based in Bengaluru. With a net worth in the billions, he is estimated to be within the top 100 wealthiest Indians, according to a Forbes rich list.
Murthy is also known in the West as the father-in-law of former British prime minister Rishi Sunak, who is married to Akshata Murty.
In recent weeks, other comments by Murthy about productivity and work ethic in business hit the headlines in India, prompting a national debate around work-life balance.
A Hindustan Times article published in December reported on his defence of the idea of a 70-hour working week. In that article, which featured the same image as the screenshot above, Murthy was described as saying that young people need to understand that “we have to work hard and work towards making India number one”.
The issue had already been up for debate a year earlier, when Murthy initially made the comments. It was reported on in the UK when his son-in-law Rishi Sunak still occupied 10 Downing Street.
METHOD
To find out if the screenshot was genuine, we went to the Hindustan Times directly to find the article.
The official Hindustan Times account on X, which is a verified business account with over 8 million followers, published a post clarifying the provenance of the apparent screenshot.
In the ‘Note To Readers’, the news outlet wrote: “A screenshot of a purported HT story claiming ‘Narayana Murthy advocates limited interaction between young girls and boys for success’ is circulating online. We confirm that the screenshot is photoshopped and the story is fake.
“Our legal team is actively addressing the matter, and appropriate legal action will be taken against those responsible for creating and spreading this misinformation.
“We urge everyone to verify information through credible sources before sharing or believing such claims,” the statement concluded.
From this statement, we can see that the screenshot, circulating amid discourse about Murthy’s opinions on work-life balance, is not genuine.
RATING
The screenshot of a Hindustan Times article appearing to describe comments by N. R. Narayana Murthy is not genuine.
SOURCES
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: While the work life balance was still debatable, have to share Narayana Murthy’s latest salvo without comments… [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: I first thought that this guy is angling for a Rajya Sabha seat or having Presidential aspirations… [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: One more Statement of Mr. Murthy. Is Narayana Murthy okay ? does not seem to be so… [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Waiting for the day I’ll understand Narayana Murthy [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: What an amazing piece of advice. Hope girls and boys don’t talk to one another till the age of 60 [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Someone stitch this Narayana Murthy ‘s mouth. [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
NAAZNEEN KARMALI (2024). India’s 100 Richest 2024. [online] Forbes. [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
HT News Desk (2024). Narayana Murthy defends 70-hour workweek idea’ Indians have a lot to do’. [online] Hindustan Times. [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
Sebastian, M. (2023). NR Narayana Murthy: Why Indians are debating a 70-hour work week. [online] Bbc.com. [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Note To Readers. A screenshot of a purported HT story... [Accessed 7 Jan. 2025].