Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha’s recent comments on work-life balance have sparked a heated debate on social media platforms, after some internet users speculated that it was a response to a viral Reddit post accusing the quick-commerce company for “toxic work culture.”

The controversy began with a post on the r/StartUpIndia subreddit, titled “Toxic Work Culture ft. Zepto,” shared by an anonymous user who claimed to have worked at Zepto for a year.

After the Reddit post went viral, Aadit Palicha said on X “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 🙂

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— Aadit Palicha (@aadit_palicha) December 4, 2024

However, later in a second tweet he claimed that the “quote from an interview of Indian-origin CEO Daksh Gupta”

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

— Aadit Palicha (@aadit_palicha) December 4, 2024

Later, users commented on his post that Palicha post came after Reddit anonymous post.

In the post, the individual described what they believed to be a “toxic” work environment, citing erratic work hours, poor management practices, and concerning business strategies. The poster specifically mentioned that Aadit Palicha typically starts his workday at 2pm due to an inability to wake up early, which, they alleged, results in meetings being scheduled as late as 2am.

The anonymous employee also criticized the company’s failure to hold meetings on time, citing frequent delays and rescheduling. They claimed that Zepto hires young, junior employees because more experienced staff are unwilling to work in such conditions. These new hires, according to the post, are expected to work long hours—up to 14 hours a day—at relatively low pay.

Additionally, the employee alleged that the company uses deceptive practices in its app to extract more money from customers, particularly targeting those with smartphones valued over Rs 30,000. They also suggested that Zepto was slowing down hiring and planning a large round of layoffs in March, which had led many employees to stay with the company in hopes of benefiting from a potential IPO in the coming years.

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