Harsh Goenka’s cryptic ‘kamra’ post after Bhavish Aggarwal-Kunal Kamra spat over Ola Electric service issues

RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka, on Tuesday, October 7, wrote a cryptic post on X, tagging Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, referencing his recent feud with Indian standup comedian Kunal Kamra. 

Goenka humorously remarked that he uses his Ola e-scooter to travel “from one 'kamra' (room) to another,” tagging Bhavish Aggarwal and sharing a photo of himself on an Ola bike.

Goenka’s use of “kamra” was a playful reference to the comedian’s surname following the heated exchange between Kunal Kamra and Bhavish Aggarwal over Ola’s customer service issues.

How did the feud start?

The public argument started when Kamra shared a photo on X of multiple Ola electric scooters parked at a service centre, suggesting that they needed repair. He questioned whether Indian consumers, especially daily wage workers who rely on two-wheelers, deserve such poor service. 

“Do Indian consumers have a voice? Do they deserve this?" Kamra wrote, adding, “Anyone with issues with Ola Electric, leave your story below.”

One user responded, calling Ola’s service “pathetic,” to which Kamra replied, “Worse is the leader has no reply.”

Aggarwal hit back

Aggarwal didn’t stay silent. He accused Kamra of making a “paid tweet” and invited him to join his company and help improve its service centre. 

“Since you care so much, Kunal Kamra, come and help us out! I’ll even pay more than you earned for this paid tweet or from your failed comedy career,” Aggarwal tweeted.

Kamra responded by denying any financial motivation and challenged Aggarwal to prove that someone had paid him for the post. 

“If you can prove I am paid for the tweet, I’ll delete all social media and sit quietly forever,” Kamra said, adding a clip from one of his standup acts. He also called Aggarwal an “arrogant, substandard prick.”

Aggarwal replied, asking Kamra to visit an Ola service centre. 

“Chot lagi? Dard hua? Aaja service centre. Bahut kaam hai (Did it hurt? Come to the service centre. We have a lot of work). I will pay better than your flop shows pay you,” Aggarwal wrote.

Kamra escalated the exchange by urging Aggarwal to offer refunds to customers dissatisfied with their Ola EVs, specifically those purchased in the last four months. 

“I don’t need your money. People not being able to get to their workplace need your accountability,” Kamra wrote.

Aggarwal responded by stating that Ola already has programmes in place for customers facing service delays. 

He added, “If you were genuine, you would have known. Don’t back out now. Come and do some real work instead of armchair criticism.”

Ola Electric faces regulatory action

Adding to Ola’s troubles, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) recently issued a show-cause notice to Ola Electric for alleged violations of consumer rights, misleading advertisements, and unfair trade practices. The company disclosed the notice in a regulatory filing on October 7, 2024.

This notice comes as complaints about Ola Electric's flagship S1 series scooters, including hardware malfunctions and software glitches, have flooded social media. 

The company also faced a decline in sales, with market share dropping from over 50 per cent in April to 27 per cent in September.

Ola Electric, which debuted on the stock market two months ago, saw its shares plunge by 8 per cent on Monday, continuing a downward trend as consumer dissatisfaction mounts.