Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia has likened the country’s celebrated tech figures to “naked kings”, accusing them of thriving on management jargon rather than genuine innovation and inviting criticism from Indian entrepreneur Namita Thapar.
Speaking on the Singh in USA podcast, Bhatia voiced concerns over what he termed an unhealthy obsession with managerial roles among Indian engineering graduates.
“Ninety per cent of engineering graduates move into management and start giving ‘gyaan’ to everyone,” he said. “Somehow, they become India’s software gurus — despite not writing any code themselves.”
Bhatia took aim at the long-standing practice of outsourcing, or “body-shopping”, arguing that it has been glorified at the cost of original software development. “We celebrate people who promote body shopping, not builders of real software,” he said.
For India to emerge as a truly innovative nation, Bhatia said a cultural reset was needed. “Till we change our work ethic and actually start doing work with our own hands, start respecting those who write code and solve problems, we will not innovate,” he added, urging a revamp of the country’s education system.
But Namita Thapar, executive director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals and a familiar face from Shark Tank India, lambasted Bhatia.
“I lived in the US for 8 years and met many Indians who loved bashing India,” she posted on X. “It’s easy to move to another country and give gyaan—but the real impact lies in staying and facilitating change here.”
Drawing comparisons with China, Bhatia noted that while Beijing subsidises education and nurtures talent across socioeconomic strata, in India, “education has become a luxury for the rich.”
Bhatia suggested that technology could bridge the gap. “We can teach critical thinking through an app. True happiness comes from solving other people’s problems,” he said.
The Silicon Valley entrepreneur also highlighted the disconnect between academic theory and industry reality.
“Stanford teaches what’s relevant now. IITs are stuck in the past. I got into Apple based on grades, but I built Hotmail by learning on the job,” he recalled. “Innovation doesn’t come from textbooks—it comes from doing.”
Bhatia’s comments divided public opinion. Some users resonated with his blunt assessment, acknowledging that India’s tech space often rewards replication over originality. “Whether it’s fintech or mediatech, it’s all inspired, not invented,” one user wrote.
Others sided with Thapar, pointing out that real leadership lies in staying and building. One user cited their decision to reject a life in Germany in favour of manufacturing in India — despite the “painful” process — because they believed in contributing from within.