Lay-offs fine, downturn should not be the excuse: Murthy

By siliconindia  |   Friday, 27 November 2009, 21:58 IST   |    7 Comments
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Lay-offs fine, downturn should not be the excuse: Murthy
Mumbai: Layoffs are an inevitable aspect of the corporate world, especially in recession. But a poor economy should not be an excuse to cut jobs, says NR Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys. "In today's economic downturn, the challenge lies in having the courage to set an example that responsible profitability is a realistic achievement. And by using data to demonstrate that it is possible to preserve jobs in an economic downturn, while innovating to increase profits, productivity and efficiency," Murthy said.

It is simply too risky to pour money into projects or assets that may or may not yield the desired results. Therefore, from the perspective of resource management, there is a compelling case to be made for creative thinking and innovation to create new productive and efficient solutions from existing resources, he said. "The other imperative of Indian companies is to improve the lives of the largest number of Indians because that is how you can make this a better society," Murthy added.

India needs to find a balance between remaining competitive and being financially secure and stable in a troubled economic climate, Murthy said. The Indian corporate sector has been extremely fortunate in escaping the worst of the global financial crisis. While U.S. and other western countries posted sluggish growth rates and witnessed spiraling unemployment, India's economy grew 6.8 percent during the financial quarter in June, up from 5.8 percent in the previous quarter, Murthy added.

"Despite the relative health of the Indian economy, we should be mindful of the fact that the danger of an economic downturn in India has not yet passed and situation could change rapidly," Murthy said. We must be alert and careful to temper our optimism with realism, he added.

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