Swiggy Food and Marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor has spoken out against the toxic “hustle culture” prevalent in many industries. Mr Kapoor stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, warning that relentless pursuit of success can lead to compromised mental and physical health.
“You don't need to hustle and work till 3 am,” he said during a conversation with Shradha Sharma at Techsparks, an event in Bengaluru.
“Those who say they work till 3 am, never say that they reach the office by 1 pm next day,” he added, criticising the culture of boasting about late-night work hours. "It's bullsh*t," he said.
He acknowledged that while hard work is necessary, pushing oneself to extreme limits is not sustainable. “Some days, you need to work till late but not daily,” he said.
“You need to work hard, but not be crazy to the point that you sacrifice your personal life,” he advised. “Ghar jao [Go home].”
The Swiggy CEO encouraged employees to prioritise family time and avoid unnecessary late-night work. “Nothing has ever come easy in my life, but it has not come at the cost of going crazy. You don't need to be crazy.”
Hustle culture, characterised by working long hours and pushing productivity to its limits, has been widely endorsed by many industry leaders. One of them was Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy who advocated 70-hour work-weeks.
Rohit Kapoor's views resonated with many.
A user commented, “Narayan Murthy getting panic attacks watching this.”
Another exclaimed, “Someone is normal, finally.”
Someone praised, “Finally someone said something sensible.”
“Someone who's actually practical about life,” a comment read.
Rohit Kapoor, Swiggy's CEO, boasts a distinguished career spanning over two decades. His journey began at McKinsey & Company in 2000, followed by leadership stints at Max India Limited, Max Healthcare, and OYO. Rohit Kapoor joined Swiggy as CEO of the Food Marketplace in 2022.