Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal's thoughts on work-life balance in old interview irks internet
Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal's old interview resurfaced, where he controversially stated that weekends off are a "Western cultural import" and not part of India's traditions. He argued that work-life balance is a flawed concept.
Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, who was embroiled in a heated dispute with comedian Kunal Kamra last week, has returned to the headlines, this time for an old interview. Footage from one of his earlier interviews in which he discussed work-life balance has gone viral. During an interview with YourStory last year, he stated that the Saturday and Sunday off were a "Western cultural import" rather than a "Indian thing".
What did Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal say about work-life balance?
There was no concept of cabs in India. People used to travel in shared bullock carts.
¡ª Kapil (@kapsology) July 10, 2024
Why are you running @Olacabs? pic.twitter.com/4iSk61NhVu
"I don't think world-life balance is the right construct. Again it's a contrarian view. There will be people who will disagree with me," he said.
"Many people will disagree with me, but I believe... Let me actually take a historical perspective first and then I will tell you... the philosophy I live by. This Saturday-Sunday is not an Indian thing. This is a Western thing," he added.
In India, we never had Saturdays and Sundays, he remarked, adding, "We had the Lunar Calendar and we had holidays based on it." We had one or two days per month, he added. "Then it became a Western cultural import and then the industrial revolution happened...," he said in the interview.
How did people on the internet react?
People on the internet were not happy after listening to the CEO's concept of working, many people criticised Aggarwal. Here's what people wrote.
Sabse bada fraud hai yeh aadmi
¡ª Money Matters (@_M0neyMatters) July 10, 2024
The language he is using - English, even that's a western import. The clothes he is wearing - Western import.
¡ª Amit Kar (@AmitKar1990) July 10, 2024
He named his Company Ola a spanish word instead of Namaste..
¡ª Ryu (@street_figtr) July 10, 2024
Idiot is talking about western import in English..... Another chatukar....
¡ª Bhagoda_Modi ???? (@pongapandu) July 10, 2024
He never heard of solar calendars in India ? WhatsApp university pass out
¡ª hrishi (@ahrishikesh) July 10, 2024
The video went viral days after Kamra and Aggarwal spat barbs on social media.
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