"My Wife Loves Staring At Me": Adar Poonawalla Mocks L&T Chief's Remark

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has weighed in on the ongoing debate about work-life balance, advocating for the importance of quality over the quantity of work hours. Mr Poonawalla, in a social media post, echoed Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra's sentiment, saying, "Yes [Anand Mahindra], 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."

Yes @anandmahindra, even my wife @NPoonawalla thinks i am wonderful, she loves staring at me on Sundays. Quality of work over quantity always. #worklifebalance pic.twitter.com/5Lr1IjOB6r

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 12, 2025

His comment, made on X, followed Mr Mahindra's recent remarks saying that it's not about working 48, 70, or 90 hours a week, but rather the output produced. "My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her," Mr Mahindra had said, taking a dig at Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's latest comments.

Mr Subrahmanyan recently sparked backlash with his suggestion that employees should work 90-hour weeks, even on Sundays, to remain competitive. He said that he regretted that L&T employees weren't working on Sundays, saying, "If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also."

He further 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."

Mr Subrahmanyan's comments also drew criticism from other quarters, including RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka, who mocked the suggestion of a 90-hour workweek, calling it a "recipe for burnout, not success." Mr Goenka said, "Why not rename Sunday to 'Sun-duty' and make 'day off' a mythical concept!" He added that work-life balance isn't optional and urged people to "work smart, not slave."

Former Indian badminton star Jwala Gutta also strongly criticised Mr Subrahmanyan's comments, labelling them "misogynistic." On social media, Ms Gutta questioned why spending time with one's spouse should be seen as a problem, asking, "Why shouldn't he stare at his wife... and why only on a Sunday?"

The debate has even drawn attention from actor and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone, who called the remarks "shocking" coming from someone in a senior position.

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy has also previously argued in favour of long workweeks, suggesting that employees should be prepared for up to 70-hour workweeks.