Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has spoken out on the ongoing debate on work-life balance and advocates the importance of quality over quantity of working hours. Mr Poonawalla, in a social media post, echoed the sentiment of Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra and said: “Yes [Anand Mahindra]even my wife [Natasha Poonawalla] thinks I'm great, she likes to stare at me on Sundays. Quality of work always takes precedence over quantity. Work-life balance.”
Yes @anandmahindraeven my wife @NPoonawalla thinks I'm great, she likes to stare at me on Sundays. Quality of work always takes precedence over quantity. #worklifebalance pic.twitter.com/5Lr1IjOB6r
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 12, 2025
His comment on “My wife is amazing, I love staring at her,” Mr Mahindra had said, while taking a dig at the latest comments from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subrahmanyan.
Mr Subrahmanyan recently sparked a backlash with his suggestion that employees should work 90 hours a week, even on Sundays, to remain competitive. He said he felt bad that L&T employees did not work on Sundays and said, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier because I also work on Sundays.”
He further wondered: 'What do you do when you're at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the women stare at their husbands? Go to the office and get to work.”
Mr Subrahmanyan's comments also drew criticism from other quarters, including Harsh Goenka, chairman of the RPG Group, who mocked the suggestion of a 90-hour work week, calling it a “recipe for burnout, not for success.” Mr. Goenka said, “Why don't we change Sunday to 'Sun Service' and make 'day off' a mythical concept!” He added that work-life balance is not optional and urged people to “work smart, not be slavish.”
Former Indian badminton star Jwala Gutta also sharply criticized Mr Subrahmanyan's comments, calling them 'misogynistic'. On social media, Ms. Gutta questioned why spending time with your partner should be seen as a problem. She asked, “Why wouldn't he stare at his wife… and why only on Sundays?”
The debate has even caught the attention of actor and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone, who called the comments from someone in a high position 'shocking'.
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy has also previously advocated long work weeks, suggesting that employees should be prepared for work weeks of up to 70 hours.
