The CEO of Serum Institute mentioned that there’s no substitute for hard work but the quality of work, and working strategically is of importance.
Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the Serum Institute of India said that human beings can not be productive after continuously working for 8-9 hours, sharing his views on the ongoing debate about the 70-hour workweek.
“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 told Rahul Kanwal, News Director, India Today and Aajtak, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 in Davos.
He talked about the number of hours he works in a day and said, “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.”
Sharing his thoughts on the need to work long hours in the office, he suggested that one must work hard when the situation demands it.
“I could have a 16-hour day. During COVID, I was coming home at 11 PM. 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,” Poonawalla said.
The CEO of Serum Institute mentioned that there’s no substitute for hard work, but the quality of work and working strategically is of importance.

His recent comments come amid the ongoing debate over the work-life balance and 70-hour workweek talks.
Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy clarified his 70-hour workweek remark on Monday, saying that no one can forcefully implement it on others.
After stirring up a fierce debate on social media by suggesting young Indians should work 70 hours a week earlier last year, Narayana Murthy issued a clarification while speaking at IMC’s Kilachand Memorial Lecture.
“There’s nobody who can say you should do this, you should not do it,” the Infosys co-founder said.