After Anand Mahindra, Adar Poonawalla Supports Quality Over Quantity in 90-Hour Work Week Debate

Following Anand Mahindra, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has joined the growing debate on work-life balance, advocating for quality over quantity in work hours. In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Poonawalla wrote, “Yes, Anand Mahindra, even my wife Natasha Poonawalla thinks I’m wonderful; she loves staring at me on Sundays. Quality of work over quantity always.” He accompanied the post with a relaxed photo and tagged it with #WorkLifeBalance.

Earlier, on January 11, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra weighed in on the issue, urging companies to prioritize quality over quantity. Speaking at the National Youth Festival in Delhi, he humorously added, “One can change the world in 10 hours,” and remarked, “I love staring at my wife,” emphasizing the importance of personal time.

The debate was sparked by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan, who faced backlash after advocating for a 90-hour work week and suggesting employees should even forgo Sundays, questioning, “How long can you stare at your wife?”

Industry leaders and analysts have since taken sides. While stalwarts like Devina Mehra, Rajiv Bajaj, and Harsh Goenka criticized Subrahmanyan’s remarks, Helios Capital’s Samir Arora supported the idea of long work hours, especially in the early stages of a career.

The controversy continues to fuel discussions across corporate India, with opinions divided on the balance between professional dedication and personal well-being.