The 22-year-old CEO of Zepto, Aadit Palicha, has responded to allegations of a “toxic work culture” at his quick-commerce startup, saying he has “nothing against work-life balance” and even recommends it to competitors.
— aadit_palicha (@aadit_palicha)
The comments come after an anonymous Reddit user, claiming to be a Zepto employee, posted a scathing critique of the company’s work environment. The Redditor alleged that Zepto has long working hours, with meetings starting as early as 2 AM because the CEO “cannot wake up early.”
— AryanTrivedi_7 (@AryanTrivedi_7)
The post also claimed that young workers are “exploited” by being forced to work 14-hour days, and that massive layoffs are imminent.
In a series of social media posts, Palicha appeared to acknowledge the concerns, noting that the 2 AM meeting start time and 10 AM work start are due to the CEO’s schedule. He also said Zepto hires many young workers because “senior people do not want to work in such a culture.”
Additionally, Palicha referenced an interview with another Indian-origin CEO who defended 84-hour workweeks, saying “I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors.” He said, in another post, “FYI, not my quote – read it from an interview of Daksh Gupta.”
However, the 22-year-old billionaire did not directly address the other allegations, such as the claims of customer data misuse and delayed meetings.
Zepto, founded in 2021, has faced scrutiny over its rapid growth and business practices. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment on the Reddit post or Palicha’s statements.
