Adar Poonawalla Echoes Anand Mahindra's Remark On Work-Life Balance: 'My Wife Loves Staring At Me On Sundays'

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, has joined the ongoing discussion around work-life balance, emphasising the value of quality over quantity in work hours.

In a social media post, Poonawalla supported Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra's views, 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."

Photo Credit: https://x.com/adarpoonawalla

Poonawalla's comment, posted on X (formerly Twitter), followed Mahindra's recent remarks, where he argued that productivity is more important than the number of hours worked. Mahindra had said, "My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her," in a pointed response to recent comments by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan.

Subrahmanyan sparked controversy after suggesting employees should work 90-hour weeks, including Sundays, to stay competitive. He expressed disappointment that L&T employees were not working on Sundays, stating, "If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also." He added, "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."

Subrahmanyan's comments drew widespread criticism. RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka mocked the idea of a 90-hour workweek, describing it as a "recipe for burnout, not success." Goenka quipped, "Why not rename Sunday to 'Sun-duty' and make 'day off' a mythical concept!" He stressed the importance of work-life balance and encouraged people to "work smart, not slave."

Former Indian badminton star Jwala Gutta also criticised Subrahmanyan's remarks, calling them "misogynistic." On social media, Gutta asked why spending time with one's spouse should be viewed negatively, saying, "Why shouldn't he stare at his wife... and why only on a Sunday?"

Actor and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone also weighed in, describing the comments as "shocking" coming from someone in a senior position.

The debate over work hours and balance has been ongoing, with Infosys founder Narayana Murthy previously advocating for longer workweeks, suggesting employees should be ready to work up to 70 hours per week.