Shark Tank India is back with its fifth season. On Wednesday, the makers of the show announced the new season and dropped a hilarious and sarcastic promo. It began with several CEOs and leading businessmen crying over 鈥渓osses鈥 in their respective businesses. While one claimed that he is not able to play golf ever since his project manager resigned, another seemed unhappy in a luxurious car.
The voiceover in the promo then took a dig at 鈥渂osses鈥 and said, 鈥淵ou can change (your bosses鈥) lives. So, please work overtime. Sacrifice your personal life, your hobbies, and your start-up dreams. Work 70 hours for your bosses, at least until AI doesn鈥檛 replace you. Keep working, so that your millionaire bosses become billionaires. Save your bosses, do not apply to Shark Tank India.鈥
Even though the makers did not name anybody, it can be argued that the promo was an indirect dig at the Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, who ruled headlines earlier this year after suggesting a 70-hour work week for employees in India.
鈥淚ndia鈥檚 work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity, unless we reduce corruption in the government at some level, because we have been reading I don鈥檛 know the truth of it, unless we reduce the delays in our bureaucracy in taking this decision, we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress,鈥 the Infosys founder had said and then added, 鈥淭his is my country. I would like to work 70 hours a week.鈥
While Murthy faced backlash for his comments, recently Namita Thapar, who has been a judge on Shark Tank India ever since its first season, also reacted to it and said, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e putting in 70 hours, plus an additional 30鈥40 hours weekly, you barely have time for sleep. How can you be there for your baby or a spouse who鈥檚 at home caring for your child? Spare them the emotional toll and mental health issues that come with having an absent parent.鈥