'Even my wife thinks...': Now, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla shoots down 90-hour work week idea 

'Even my wife thinks...': Now, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla shoots down 90-hour work week idea 

Adar Poonawalla's comment comes days after Subrahmanyan pitched a 90-hour workweek.

Business Today Desk
Business Today Desk
  • Updated Jan 12, 2025 3:22 PM IST
'Even my wife thinks...': Now, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla shoots down 90-hour work week idea Adar Poonawalla counters 90-hour workweek idea

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Sunday subtly dismissed the idea of a 90-hour workweek floated by L&T Chairperson SN Subrahmanyan. He suggested that it was the quality that mattered instead of quantity.

Replying to industrialist Anand Mahindra's remark, "My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her," Poonawalla wrote: "Yes @anandmahindra, even my wife @NPoonawalla thinks I am wonderful, she loves staring at me on Sundays. Quality of work over quantity always."  

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Poonawalla's comment comes days after Subrahmanyan pitched a 90-hour workweek. In a now-viral video, Subrahmanyan said, "I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy. What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife?"  

His remarks triggered discussions about work-life balance, an issue that gained traction in October 2023 when Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy suggested a 70-hour workweek to boost productivity.  

On Saturday, Anand Mahindra weighed in on the controversy, emphasising the importance of the quality of work over the number of hours spent. "Let me not get this wrong, of course, but I have to say something. I think this debate is in the wrong direction because this debate is about the quantity of work," Mahindra said.

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"My point is we have to focus on the quality of work, not on the quantity of work. So, it's not about 40 hours, it's not about 70 hours, it's not about 90 hours. What output are you doing? Even if it's 10 hours, you can change the world in 10 hours," he added.  

Mahindra underscored the value of leaders and employees making wise choices. "We need minds that are exposed to holistic thinking and open to inputs from around the world. People from different backgrounds, like engineers and MBAs, should also study arts and culture to make better decisions," he explained. "You make better decisions when you have a whole brain informed about arts and culture."  

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He further stressed the importance of spending time with family, friends, and personal interests. "If you're not spending time at home, with friends, or reading, how will you bring the right inputs into making a decision?" he questioned.  

Mahindra also responded to frequent questions from his followers about his time spent on social media, stating, "I'm on X not because I'm lonely. My wife is wonderful. I love staring at her. I spend more time [with her]. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here because people don't understand it is an amazing business tool, how in one platform I get feedback from 11 million people."  

Published on: Jan 12, 2025 3:22 PM IST
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