Adar Poonawalla on work hours: Productivity declines beyond 8-9 hours
The ongoing debate on increasing work hours for employees has sparked varied opinions from industry leaders. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, weighed in during an interview with India Today at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos, stating that human productivity diminishes after 8-9 hours of continuous work.“A human being can't be productive beyond 8 or 9 hours. Sometimes you have to put in those hours. It's fine. I do it. My staff do it, but you can't do that every day,” Poonawalla explained. Reflecting on his own routine, he said, “I work at least eight hours a day. Sometimes on weekends if needed, but there may be days where I’m on the slopes skiing or doing something else.”Poonawalla also noted that work hours often depend on the circumstances and stage of one’s career. “I could have a 16-hour day. During COVID, I was coming home at 11 pm at night. So it all depends on the journey and the stage that you’re at. If you're an entrepreneur building your business, you absolutely should work hard and do whatever it takes,” he added.The conversation around work hours gained momentum after Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy suggested extending the workweek to 70 hours to boost productivity. However, Murthy softened his stance during the Kilachand Memorial Lecture at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC). He emphasised that no one can impose specific working hours on employees.“Nobody can force someone to work for a certain number of hours in a company,” he said. Reflecting on his own career, he added, “I used to get to the office at 6.30 am and leave at 8.30 pm. That’s a fact. I have done it for 40-odd years. But these are personal choices. These are not issues that should be debated. One should introspect and decide what works best for them.”Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan also entered the fray, advocating for an even more demanding 90-hour workweek, including working on Sundays. His remarks, however, drew sharp criticism for being perceived as misogynistic. Addressing his employees, he controversially stated, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working.”

THE ongoing debate on increasing work hours for employees has sparked varied opinions from industry leaders.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, weighed in during an interview with India Today at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos, stating that human productivity diminishes after 8-9 hours of continuous work.
“A human being can't be productive beyond 8 or 9 hours. Sometimes you have to put in those hours. It's fine. I do it. My staff do it, but you can't do that every day,” Poonawalla explained. Reflecting on his own routine, he said, “I work at least eight hours a day. Sometimes on weekends if needed, but there may be days where I’m on the slopes skiing or doing something else.”
Poonawalla also noted that work hours often depend on the circumstances and stage of one’s career. “I could have a 16-hour day. During COVID, I was coming home at 11 pm at night. So it all depends on the journey and the stage that you’re at. If you're an entrepreneur building your business, you absolutely should work hard and do whatever it takes,” he added.
The conversation around work hours gained momentum after Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy suggested extending the workweek to 70 hours to boost productivity. However, Murthy softened his stance during the Kilachand Memorial Lecture at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC). He emphasised that no one can impose specific working hours on employees.
“Nobody can force someone to work for a certain number of hours in a company,” he said. Reflecting on his own career, he added, “I used to get to the office at 6.30 am and leave at 8.30 pm. That’s a fact. I have done it for 40-odd years. But these are personal choices. These are not issues that should be debated. One should introspect and decide what works best for them.”
Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan also entered the fray, advocating for an even more demanding 90-hour workweek, including working on Sundays. His remarks, however, drew sharp criticism for being perceived as misogynistic. Addressing his employees, he controversially stated, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working.”