Adar Poonawalla takes a shot at L&T CEO SN Subrahmanyan over 90-hour workweek remark, says ‘my wife loves to…’

Adar Poonawalla took a veiled jibe at Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) CEO SN Subrahmanyan who recently advocated a 90-hour work week. In a post on X, Poonawalla said "my wife loves to stare at me on Sundays", in an apparent dig at Subrahmanyan's comments.

Weighing in on the raging debate over longer working hours for Indian professionals, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla took a veiled jibe at Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) CEO SN Subrahmanyan who recently advocated a 90-hour work week. In a post on X, Poonawalla agreed with Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra over the latter stress on quality work rather than quantity.

“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,” Poonawalla wrote, apparently mocking SN Subrahmanyan’s remarks wherein he had asked “how long can a husband and wife stare at each other at home?”

Adar Poonawalla’s comments come after Anand Mahindra’s take on the L&T CEO’s remarks. “My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her,” the Mahindra Group chairman had said while taking a dig at SN Subrahmanyan’s advocation of a 90-hour work week for Indian professionals.

Mahindra stressed that the focus should be on the quality of work rather than quantity, saying that its not about working 48, 70, or 90 hours in a week, but its the output which matters the most.

L&T CEO says employees should work 90-hour weeks

L&T CEO and Managing Director (MD) SN Subrahmanyan recently sparked a controversy with his remarks on the work-life balance debate, saying that employees must work 90-hours a week, even on Sunday, to compete with other nations. Subrahmanyan said he regretted that he can’t make L&T employees work on Sundays because he does so himself.

“If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays also,” he had said, and asked what employees at home on their off days and how long can husbands and wives “stare” at each other. “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.”

His comments came amid a raging debate over work-life balance triggered last year when Infosys founder Narayana Murthy argued that employees should work at least 70-hours in a week.