9 January 2025- Following his LinkedIn post expressing his opinions on Indian workplace culture, Shantanu Deshpande, the founder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, is garnering attention on social media. He wrote about wealth inequality, the difficulties faced by workers, and the ingrained “work hard” mentality that has influenced economies for many generations.
Deshpande describing it as a “tragic” and “late” realization that he has had, said “Most people don’t like their jobs,” and that “If financial security were assured, 99% wouldn’t show up to work the next day,” questioning the core motivations that drive the country’s workforce.
“From blue collar workforce to govt employees to gig workers to factories to insurance salesmen to banks to small business owners to even ‘fun and employee friendly startups’ like Bombay Shaving Company (my HR is gonna kill me :)) – the story is the same. 19-20 ka farak (minor difference),” he wrote.
In Frame: Shantanu Deshpande, CEO, Bombay Shaving company
Deshpande then wrote about how some 2,000 families control 18 per cent of India’s wealth yet contribute far less than 1.8 per cent of the country’s taxes. “That’s just INSANE. Not sure of the numbers but they definitely do not pay even 1.8% of the taxes. These families and other ‘equity builders’ like me are guilty of peddling a ‘work hard and climb up’ narrative because it’s self serving of course, but also what other option is there? We don’t know any other way.”
Comparing India’s work culture to a “dangling carrot” system, Deshpande wrote, “We pull people away from their homes and families all day, sometimes for weeks, with the promise of a paycheck hanging in front of them. We’ve come to accept this because it’s been the norm for over 250 years. That’s how nations have been built, so we continue to do it.”
The CEO asked the “privileged” to show consideration for those with fewer resources as he wrapped up his post. He said, “Life is very hard for most people. Very few will change that. Most people carry invisible burdens on tired shoulders and smile their way through inevitability. If you are privileged, be kind and generous and push as many people up as you can.”
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