What Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha Said On Work-Life Balance

Aadit Palicha, the 22-year-old CEO of Zepto, has weighed in on work-life balance, suggesting he had “nothing against” it. On Wednesday, Mr Palicha said, “I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors.”

I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors :)

— Aadit Palicha (@aadit_palicha) December 4, 2024

This statement drew immediate attention, especially as it was followed by a clarification: “FYI, not my quote – read it from an interview with Daksh Gupta.”

FYI, not my quote - read it from an interview of Daksh Gupta.

— Aadit Palicha (@aadit_palicha) December 4, 2024

The post was a nod to Daksh Gupta, the 23-year-old Indian-origin CEO of AI startup Greptile, who has been in the spotlight for endorsing long work hours. Last month, Mr Gupta shared similar sentiments on social media, sparking a debate about work expectations in the modern tech industry.

Mr Palicha's comment quickly generated a range of responses, with many users connecting it to a recent viral Reddit post. In that post, an anonymous user alleged that Zepto's working environment was “toxic,” claiming it pressured employees with demanding expectations.

The post detailed allegations of employees working exhausting 14-hour shifts, intensifying discussions about workplace well-being in the corporate sector. It also claimed that Mr Palicha starts his day at 2 pm due to difficulties waking up early, which in turn leads to meetings being scheduled at 2 am.

The post also suggested that Zepto hires junior staff to reduce costs and hinted at a significant round of layoffs expected in March, with many departments reportedly suspending new recruitment.

Toxic work culture ft. Zepto
byu/Scary_Split3157 inStartUpIndia

Mr Palicha's post on X soon sparked a flurry of reactions from users.

One user joked that he “woke up early” to write the post.

so you woke up early to tweet this lol ????

— Sneha (@itspsneha) December 4, 2024

“Ah, burning the midnight oil to dunk on toxic work culture posts on Reddit? Bold strategy! So, what time's your first meeting today—asking for your coffee machine,” read another comment.

Ah, burning the midnight oil to dunk on toxic work culture posts on Reddit? Bold strategy!

So, what time's your first meeting today—asking for your coffee machine

— Monica Jasuja (@jasuja) December 4, 2024

Another user chimed in, suggesting, “Anyway, since you're here, maybe get a few things fixed on the delivery partner's app too? Not everyone has the voice to rant on Reddit or twitter but they still deserve good experiences. Let's make that happen.”

anyway,
since you're here, maybe get a few things fixed on the delivery partner's app too?

not everyone has the voice to rant on reddit or twitter but they still deserve good experiences

let's make that happenhttps://t.co/OK6FqBn9sj

— Sneha (@itspsneha) December 4, 2024

Aadit Palicha, along with fellow Stanford dropout Kaivalya Vohra, co-founded Zepto in 2021.

The death of a 26-year-old Ernst and Young India consultant in July 2024 allegedly due to the overwhelming pressures of her job led to a fresh discussion on the work-life balance.

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy also faced flak for suggesting that Indians must work for at least 70 hours a week.

On Wednesday, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi expressed his disagreement with Mr Murthy, saying, "Employees are not slaves. Working longer hours doesn't mean better productivity. Several countries have switched to a 4-day work week and are doing better."