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“A human being can’t be productive beyond 8 or 9 hours. Sometimes you have to put in those hours (70 or 90 hours). It’s fine… But you can’t do that every day,” states Serum Institute of India CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Adar Poonawalla.
Serum Institute of India CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Adar Poonawalla states he in some cases services weekend breaks likewise if it’s required.
Adar Poonawalla, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER of the Serum Institute of India, signed up with the work-life equilibrium discussion and shared his ideas on efficiency and the continuous discussion bordering the 70-hour and 90-hour workweeks. During the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos, Poonawalla on Tuesday claimed people can not be efficient past 8 or 9 hours.
” A human being can not be efficient past 8 or 9 hours (each day). Sometimes you need to place in those hours (70 or 90 hours a week). It’s penalty. I do it. My team do it, however you can not do that on a daily basis,” Poonawalla said in an interaction with India Today.
Discussing his own work schedule, he added, “I would say I work at least 8 hours a day, sometimes on weekends if it’s needed, but there may be some days when, you know, I may be just on the slope skiing or doing something else. But, it all depends on the day.”
Poonawalla recognized that while there are times when lengthy hours are needed, it’s not lasting daily. Recalling his experiences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he kept in mind, “I might have a 16-hour day. During COVID, I was returning at 11 PM during the night. So everything relies on the trip and the phase that you go to. If you’re a business owner structure your company, you definitely must strive and do whatever it takes.”
While advocating for hard work, he also highlighted the importance of strategic and quality work over mere hours spent. “There’s no substitute for hard work,” he claimed, however worried that functioning wisely is just as vital.
Recently, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan asked workers to place in 90 hours a week. The L&T chairman’s remarks, initially flowed in a video clip on Reddit, recommended that workers should prioritise job over home life, examining, “How long can you look at your partner?” Subrahmanyan expressed regret over the inability to mandate Sunday work, stating, “If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays.”
In October 2023, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy stimulated a discussion on the work-life equilibrium after he supported for the 70-hour job week. He had actually claimed that for India to take on the fastest-growing nations like China and Japan, the young people needs to devote to functioning 70 hours a week.
However, on Monday, Murthy claimed no one can ask individuals to place in lengthy hours, however it is for everyone to “introspect” and understand the need for it. Underlining that he has put in over 70 hours a week for 40-odd years during his time at Infosys, Murthy said these are issues that need to be introspected on, and not debated.
