Ratan Tata's manager Shantanu Naidu on 18-hour workday row: 'Work is something we do, not who we are'

Ratan Tata's general manager Shantanu Naidu and Bombay SHaving Company's CEO Shantanu Deshpande

Ratan Tata's deputy general manager Shantanu Naidu on Thursday commented on the 18-hour workday row that has been a hot topic of debate in social media after Bombay SHaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande advised freshers to work for 18 hours a day and not do "rona dhona".

In a video shared on LinkedIn, Naidu said, "I think the problem with this 18-hour workday or toxic hustle culture is that it brings down the value of a person only to his achievements and productivity. I think as human beings, we are worth much more than that."

"'Work is something we do, not who we are' is something I heard once and I really believe in that."

Shantanu Naidu, however, added that people who want to hustle and work for 18 hours are free to do so because they believe that's the way to do it. "But to preach that to young, impressionable minds is not a great idea because that's not what makes us individuals and human beings," he said.

"I think, in the end, it's more relationships and love and what we leave behind for other people that really makes us human beings, and not being valued at how much work I did today."

Read more: Ratan Tata’s assistant Shantanu Naidu shares two key takeaways from his boss

On Wednesday, Bombay Shaving Company founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande apologised after the massive backlash he received for his LinkedIn post.

"To those who were hurt by my post - apologies for the same. I recognise the need for nuance and context," he wrote in another LinkedIn post.

Deshpande also shared a snippet of an interview with ET Now, where he said that his message was taken out of context while admitting that the post could have been worded better.

Read more: ‘Millennial Dumbledore’: How Ratan Tata hired Shantanu Naidu as his assistant