Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, recently engaged in a social media feud with comedian Kunal Kamra, has found himself in the spotlight again, this time for comments he made in an old interview about work-life balance. A video clip from a 2023 interview with YourStory has gone viral, in which Bhavish Aggarwal shared his contrarian views on the concept of work-life balance, challenging the widely accepted notion of the traditional weekend.
In the interview, Bhavish Aggarwal argued that the idea of having Saturday and Sunday off was a “Western cultural import” and not an “Indian thing.” He emphasized that historically, India followed the Lunar Calendar and had holidays based on that, typically one or two days a month, before adopting the Western weekend schedule during the industrial revolution. “I don’t think work-life balance is the right construct. Many people will disagree with me, but that is the philosophy I live by,” he said.
The resurfaced video comes days after a heated exchange between Bhavish Aggarwal and Kunal Kamra on social media. Kunal Kamra posted a photo showing a large number of Ola Electric scooters parked at a service center, criticizing the company for what he claimed were issues faced by Indian consumers. “Do Indian consumers have a voice? Do they deserve this? Two-wheelers are many daily wage workers’ lifeline…,” Kunal Kamra wrote, encouraging users to share their complaints.
Bhavish Aggarwal fired back, accusing Kunal Kamra of posting a “paid tweet” and sarcastically offering to pay him more than what he earned from his “failed comedy career.” Bhavish Aggarwal also invited Kunal Kamra to visit Ola’s service center and assist with resolving the backlog of customer complaints. Kunal Kamra responded with a clip from one of his stand-up performances, retorting with a personal jab at Bhavish Aggarwal. The comedian also demanded that Ola offer full refunds to any dissatisfied customers.
In the midst of this public spat, Ola Electric received a show-cause notice from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) over alleged violations of consumer rights, misleading advertisements, and unfair trade practices. The notice was received via email on October 7, 2024. Ola Electric has acknowledged the regulatory filing and stated that they are reviewing the notice.
The online feud and regulatory scrutiny have kept Bhavish Aggarwal and Ola in the headlines, with many keeping a close watch on how both situations unfold.
