New Delhi, 4 DEC

Aadit Palicha, CEO of Zepto, has responded to recent allegations about the company’s work culture following a viral Reddit post that criticised the startup for fostering a toxic environment.

The post, shared on the r/StartUpIndia page by an anonymous user, accused Zepto of demanding 14-hour workdays and raising concerns about burnout and a lack of work-life balance.

Titled ‘Toxic Work Culture ft. Zepto’, the post detailed the alleged experiences of a Zepto employee who claimed to have worked at the company for a year. The individual described the environment as the ‘most toxic work culture,’ claiming that Palicha often starts his workday ‘only at 2pm’ due to an inability to wake up early, which leads to meetings being scheduled at odd hours, including 2am. The employee also alleged that meetings were delayed or rescheduled.

Further, the post stated that Zepto primarily hires young employees because “senior people do not want to work in such a culture,” and these young recruits are made to work 14-hour days. The post also added that in March there will be a massive round of layoffs and hirings are stopped for most of the departments.

The employee further alleged that “the app employs several dark patterns to extract money from customers in various ways, including charging higher fees for phones worth more than Rs 30,000.

In response to the accusations, Palicha acknowledged the demanding nature of startup life, particularly in the early growth phases. He explained that long hours are a reality in fast-growing companies, but emphasised that he does not support a toxic work culture. Palicha assured that while Zepto’s focus has been on driving success, and is committed employee well-being.

While Palicha has pledged to address these issues, he continues to defend the rigorous demands that come with building a rapidly expanding business.    —Agencies