Namita Thapar hits out at Hotmail's Sabeer Bhatia for Indian techies remark: Easy to give gyan but...

Shark Tank India judge Namita Thapar and (right) Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia (Image credit: Instagram)

Shark Tank India judge and Emcure Pharmaceuticals' executive director Namita Thapar has hit out at Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia for claiming that Indian engineers have a poor work ethic. In a recent podcast, Bhatia had said, "Ninety-nine percent of Indian engineering graduates move into management roles and start giving ‘gyaan' to everyone. But where's the work ethic? Where are the people building real products with their own hands?"

Responding to it on X, Thapar wrote, "Latest news 'Sabeer Bhatia giving gyan on quality of Indian engineers'. I lived in the US for eight years and met many Indians living there who loved bashing India… Dear government, please note that brain drain is a real concern and needs introspection… however, back to Mr Bhatia… please note that it's easy to move to another country and give gyan, but the real impact and challenge lies in staying in your own country and facilitating change!"

Thapar's comment received a mixed reaction on social media.

"Somehow I agree here with Namita, I am staying abroad since last 11 years it’s really common from NRIs to talk against Indian on every aspects not all but max... may be 90 percent," commented Nayak Satya (@NayakSatya_SG). "Though I totally agree with you as I have friends who moved abroad and started bashing our country for everything but I disagree on the point that it’s easy to move to other countries. Getting PR/GC in good countries is not that easy now," added Raja (@insaan_logic).

Others said that since Thapar is not a first-generation entrepreneur, she would not understand the challenges of launching a business in the current Indian ecosystem -- something that Bhatia was attempting to highlight.

"He literally tells stories of time after time he has tried to do things in India and how the systematically broken government+cultural foundations of country just block people out," wrote Sitesh Shrivastav (@siteshps). "Laptop-class rants on X is veiled cope, despair takes over anyone attempting things in the real world."

Another X user, Sid Loho (@sid_loho) said, "Your words would carry more weight if you were a first-generation entrepreneur, who faced real challenges, instead of being a daughter of one. You will never realize how hard life and challenges are if you are born into privilege, okay? I am the first one in my family to start a business, and I ain't going to waste my life and money in this godforsaken country when Singapore and Dubai exist."

"Sounds cool to say all this, until you are a first-generation entrepreneur trying to weave your way through Indian babudom," added Shruthika Jayaram (@shruthie_j).