Bengaluru Brings Back Kota Memories”: Bombay Shaving Company CEO’s Post Sparks Online Debate

If you’re active on social media, you’ve likely seen numerous discussions on the pros and cons of Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Each of these major cities has its own set of loyal followers, and tweets about their livability often gain traction. Recently, Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, drew an intriguing comparison between Bengaluru and Kota on X. “Bengaluru today reminds me of Kota in 2005,” Deshpande noted.

In his detailed post, Deshpande highlighted a parallel he perceives between Bengaluru and Kota’s “ecosystem delusion.” He observed that just as only a small fraction of students in Kota manage to pass their entrance exams each year, Bengaluru is also experiencing a similar phenomenon where many arrive with high expectations but only a few succeed.

Deshpande elaborated that Kota, known as the hub for IIT-JEE preparation, boasts an environment tailored for success with excellent teachers, resources, and facilities. Despite this, only about 1,000 out of 40,000 students manage to clear the exams. “The remaining 30-35k students believed that simply being in Kota would guarantee a JEE rank. They thought attending the same classes, dining in the same mess, and using the same books as the top students would be sufficient. So padhai kam, baatein zyada (less studying, more talking),” the CEO remarked.

In his post, Deshpande suggested that Bengaluru is plagued by a similar “all talk” syndrome, noting, “The majority remind me of the ‘all talk’ groups in Kota, which never ended well.” He elaborated on how aspiring entrepreneurs in Bengaluru often equate having a pitch deck and a LinkedIn connection with venture capitalists as a guaranteed path to success, similar to how Kota students believed that attending prestigious classes alone would ensure their success.

He pointed out that some founders mingle at the same events as prominent figures like Bhavish, Mukesh, or Kunal (top JEE performers in Kota), feeling that proximity to these influential figures brings them closer to achieving unicorn status. “They believe that by sharing the same space and conversing in the same circles, they’re halfway to success,” Deshpande wrote.

Deshpande compared the prevalent startup chatter in Bengaluru’s coffee shops to the Kota messes, where students talked endlessly about JEE but rarely succeeded. “Every coffee shop hums with startup conversations, similar to the Kota messes where discussions about JEE rarely resulted in real success,” he remarked.

He emphasized the need for more genuine entrepreneurs and businesses in India but cautioned that the current “ecosystem delusion” fosters a false sense of achievement and entitlement. “Founders with great expectations who arrive in Bangalore require assistance, yet this culture frequently fosters an unhealthy feeling of ‘arriving before the fact’ and entitlement.

It’s remarkable how concerned founders are about issues like calling employees back from remote work or dealing with attrition,” he said.

The CEO advised innovators not to be swept up in the startup frenzy of the city, but to concentrate on growing their companies. “Keep your distance from the ecosystem and focus on your business if you’re an entrepreneur in Bangalore just starting out. Additionally, try to locate mentors outside of the city,” he said.

Mr. Deshpande shared his post just a day ago, and it has since garnered over 4,000 reactions and nearly 300 comments.

In response, one user commented, “I’m from Kota and have lived extensively in Mumbai and Bangalore. I agree with your observations. However, in my experience, those top ranks, unicorns, and high-performing entities are due to the strength of the ecosystem. India needs more such ecosystems in different locations. Jaipur, for instance, is emerging as a notable hub, especially for direct-to-consumer fashion.