Ola founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal recently had a heated exchange with comedian Kunal Kamra on X (formerly Twitter) about the service status of Ola Electric’s S1 series scooters. The verbal confrontation was sparked by Kamla’s post that featured an image of an Ola dealership. It showed scores of Ola scooters parked outside, gathering dust.
Kamra captioned the image: “Do Indian consumers have a voice?” do they deserve this? “Motorcycles are the lifeblood of many day laborers,” he added, emphasizing that many gig workers depend on scooters for their livelihood.
โ Kunalkamra88 (@kunalkamra88)
Kamla’s post didn’t stop there. He tagged the Minister for Road Transport and Highways. Nitin GadkariโIs this how Indians will get to use EVs?โ I asked him. He also included the Ministry of Consumer Affairs in his post, asking for their opinion: “Do you have anything to say?” Kamra also invited those who have experienced issues with Ola Electric to share their stories in the comments.
Mr. Agarwal’s reaction and the public’s reaction
In a direct response to Kamla, Bhavish Agarwal accused him of posting “paid tweets”. He said: Pay more than you made on this paid tweet or failed comedy career. He added, “Otherwise, shut up and focus on solving problems for real customers.” In his defense, Agarwal argued that “we are rapidly expanding our service network and the backlog will be cleared soon.”
Agarwal’s response received a lot of attention, with over 170,000 views and sparked controversy in the comments section. Multiple users criticized his tone, calling him “arrogant.” One commenter wrote, “If you want to be in the game long term, focus on customer service, take feedback in the right spirit, and strive to improve your product.” Another user highlighted the struggles of middle-class consumers, saying: โImagine a middle-class person saves up three to four monthsโ worth of paychecks to buy an OLA, and then it starts having problems in the first week, and then itโs parked at a service center for a year. This exchange not only highlights the service challenges facing Ola Electric, but also reflects broader issues within the electric vehicle (EV) industry regarding customer satisfaction and corporate responsibility. As more and more consumers migrate to , companies like Ola must prioritize effective communication and responsive service to maintain the trust and loyalty of their customer base.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing consumer concerns quickly, especially in rapidly evolving markets. As the demand for electric vehicles increases, companies need to ensure they provide reliable service and support to meet customer expectations and remain competitive in the industry.