A few weeks ago, I was in a casual conversation with my moto rider. He mentioned that he had bought an Ola electric scooter — a choice that, in his words, he now regretted. Two months into owning the scooter, the front forks broke, and despite countless trips to the service centre, it remained unfixed for three months. His frustration was palpable, but it wasn’t surprising. I had been observing lately: the growing anger and hatred among Ola Electric customers.
This conversation stayed with me, but it didn’t feel like anything unusual until comedian Kunal Kamra’s tweet about Ola Electric gained traction. Kamra tweeted a picture of abandoned Ola scooters gathering dust outside a service centre. His caption asked a simple but poignant question: Do Indian consumers have a voice? It wasn’t just about faulty scooters — it was something that had been simmering beneath the surface for a long time.
Kamra’s tweet came at a time when Ola Electric had already been facing mounting criticism for its poor customer service and frequent product issues. People who bought Ola scooters weren’t just a means of transport but a tool for survival — a way to make a living, as many are gig workers. When that tool breaks down and the company fails to provide timely service, the consequences are far-reaching. Ola emerged as a beacon of India’s green mobility future and quickly became a source of frustration for many.
Instead of addressing these issues with empathy, Bhavish Aggarwal, Ola’s CEO aka Olan Musk, responded with sarcasm. He dismissed Kamra’s concerns, accusing him of being a “paid stooge” and mocking his career as a comedian. His flippant response — essentially reducing serious customer complaints to a joke — was jarring. And while it was easy to dismiss his words as just banter, it showed something far more troubling: a lack of accountability at the top level.
This whole episode, for me, isn’t just about scooters. It’s about the disconnect between corporations and their customers in modern India. For many daily wage workers and gig economy drivers, buying an electric scooter is an investment in their livelihood. When that investment falls apart — literally — and the company fails to provide the necessary support, it’s not just an inconvenience; it’s a blow to their very ability to work and earn.
In Kamra’s tweet, and the flood of customer stories that followed, there was a common thread: people feeling ignored, powerless, and frustrated. It’s one thing to deal with a faulty product; it’s another to face indifference when seeking help. The irony is that Ola promised to revolutionize transportation in India but now can barely do the very basic— keeping its customers on the road.
This situation reminds me of a broader question that applies not just to Ola but to many other companies in the tech-driven era: What happens when innovation leaves people behind? These days we are sold a vision of the future, full of convenience and progress, but the reality is much messier. The moto driver’s story and Kamra’s viral post both point to a larger problem — one where companies prioritize rapid expansion over customer care, leaving individuals to deal with the fallout.
New India?
One of the most troublesome aspects of this situation is how some people on Twitter continue to frame Bhavish Aggarwal as a “builder of New India.” fckin jokers. But if this is what New India looks like — where subpar and shitty products are sold at premium prices, and customers are left to fend for themselves when shit goes south — then we need to rethink what kind of India we want to build. For many Indians, that electric scooter isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline. And when that lifeline breaks down or bursts into flames, companies like Ola owe their customers more than just a sarcastic tweet.
This brings me to a deeper societal issue: the exploitation of the working class by companies that fail to deliver on their promises. Many of Ola’s customers are gig workers who rely on their scooters to make ends meet. When their vehicles break down, they lose more than just time — they lose income, security, and often, a sense of dignity. Kamra’s tweet has opened the floodgates, but these frustrations have been building for a long time and it was very much visible on Twitter. But, it shouldn’t take a viral post for companies to treat their customers with respect.
The situation with Ola Electric is a reflection of the broader challenges we face as a society. We are constantly told that technology and innovation will solve our problems, but we rarely stop to ask: At what cost? If the promise of progress comes without accountability, is it really progress? Kamra’s viral tweet and the response from Ola’s CEO show a troubling reality: innovation without responsibility leaves the very people it’s supposed to serve behind.
I was sure that govt wouldn’t step into this because of Olan’s political stance, but the CCPAs’ decision to issue a show-cause notice to Ola Electric marks a turning point in this fiasco. But it’s not just about one company being held accountable — it’s about setting a standard for all the companies. We need a future where progress is measured not by the speed at which we innovate but by how well we look after the impacted ones.
As I reflect on that conversation with the rider, it’s clear to me that this issue isn’t just about broken scooters — it’s about broken promises. For too long, we’ve accepted the idea that innovation will solve all our problems, but we forget that real progress requires more than just new tech — it requires accountability, empathy, and a commitment to serving the people.
If this is the future of New India, it’s time we demand better. Because progress without responsibility isn’t progress — it’s just exploitation. And we deserve more than that.
