"Bengaluru Reminds Me Of Kota": Bombay Shaving Company CEO's Post Divides Internet

In his post, Mr Deshpande argued that Bengaluru today suffers from a similar "all talk" syndrome: "The bulk reminds me of the 'all talk' gangs of Kota.

If you are an active social media user, you must have come across several posts debating the merits and the demerits of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The three metropolitan cities each have a loyal fan base, and tweets discussing their livability often go viral. Recently, Bombay Shaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande took to X to draw parallels between Bengaluru and Kota. "Bangalore today reminds me of Kota in 2005," Mr Deshpande wrote. In a detailed post, he stated that just as a small percentage of students in Kota manage to clear entrance exams each year, Bengaluru is also gripped by a similar "ecosystem delusion", where many flock with high hopes but only a few succeed. 

In his post, Mr Deshpande explained that Kota, "the Mecca of IIT-JEE", has an ecosystem designed for success - with top-notch teachers, resources and facilities. However, he said that out of 40,000 students, only about 1,000 would clear the exams. "The other 30-35k just assumed that being in Kota meant JEE rank was done. They believed that sitting in the same classes, eating at the same mess, owning the same books as the top guys was enough. So padhai kam, baatein zyada (less studies, more talks)," the CEO wrote.