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'My Wife Loves Staring at Me on Sundays': Adar Poonawalla’s Dig at L&T Chief's 90-Hr Workweek Call

Joining the recent online debate over the L&T Chairman’s 90-hour workweek proposal, Serum India CEO Adar Poonawalla supported work-life balance.

By Ishita Ganguly
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Adar Poonawalla

Adar Poonawalla's retort to Subrahmanyan

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Joining the recent online debate over L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s 90-hour workweek proposal, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla supported Anand Mahindra’s views on having a work-life balance. Reacting to Subrahmanyan’s advice to work on Sundays and pointing out how long someone can stare at his wife, Mahindra shared on social media that his "wife is wonderful" and "I love staring at her."

Adar Poonawalla responds

Poonawalla sided with the Mahindra Group chairman and said, "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," he shared on X with the hashtag work-life balance.

Mahindra and Poonawalla referred to L&T boss Subrahmanyan's remarks to his employees in an undated viral video.

Subrahmanyan's call to a 90-hour workweek 

While responding to an employee's question about why the company mandated working on Saturdays, Subrahmanyan said, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest," he replied. "If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays also.”

Further, 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.”

The L&T chief justified his stance with an anecdote about a conversation with a Chinese professional who claimed that China would surpass the US due to its stronger work ethic. According to the anecdote, the Chinese individual remarked, “Chinese people work 90 hours a week, while Americans work only 50 hours a week.” Drawing parallels, Subrahmanyan urged L&T employees to emulate this work ethic.

“So that's the answer for you. If you have got to be on top of the world, you have to work 90 hours a week,” Subrahmanyan suggested.

The video, widely circulated on social media has been criticized by many. From Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO Radhika Gupta to Shaadi.com Anupam Mittal, Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, and athlete Jwala Gutta have expressed their disapproval of Subrahmanyan’s 90-hour workweek proposal. And now, Anand Mahindra and Adar Poonawalla’s opinions have fuelled the debate.

L&T clarifies

Reportedly, an L&T spokesperson shared, “At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate. For over eight decades, we have been shaping India's infrastructure, industries, and technological capabilities. We believe this is India’s decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realize our shared vision of becoming a developed nation."

"The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition, emphasising that extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort. At L&T, we remain committed to fostering a culture where passion, purpose, and performance drive us forward,” the statement added.

Also read: ‘Woh Toh Chalta Rehta Hai’: PM Modi Reacts to Viral ‘Melodi’ Memes on Nikhil Kamath Podcast (startuppedia.in)