Adar Poonawalla Mocks 90-Hour Workweek, Supports Family Time

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla recently shared his thoughts on work-life balance. He stated the importance of quality over quantity in work hours. Poonawalla posted on social media agreeing with Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra’s views. He wrote, “Yes, even my wife Natasha Poonawalla thinks I am wonderful. She loves staring at me on Sundays. Quality of work over quantity always. Work-life balance."

Anand Mahindra had earlier said that the focus should not be on working long hours, like 48, 70 or 90 hours per week. Instead, the focus should be on the results of the work. He jokingly added, “My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her,” taking a dig at L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s recent comments.

Subrahmanyan had suggested that employees should work 90-hour weeks, including Sundays to stay competitive. He expressed disappointment that L&T employees were not working on Sundays. He said, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier, because I work on Sundays too." He questioned, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working.”

These remarks sparked criticism. RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka mocked the idea of a 90-hour workweek. He called it a “recipe for burnout, not success.” Goenka suggested renaming Sunday as "Sun-duty" and said the idea of a "day off" should be a myth. He argued that work-life balance is necessary and urged people to “work smart, not slave.”

Former badminton star Jwala Gutta also criticized Subrahmanyan’s comments. She called them “misogynistic.” She asked on social media, “Why shouldn’t he stare at his wife... and why only on a Sunday?”

The debate even caught the attention of actor and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone. She found the remarks “shocking,” especially coming from someone in a senior position. Infosys founder Narayana Murthy had previously supported long workweeks, suggesting that employees should be ready for 70-hour workweeks.