CEO has public meltdown after comedian calls out ‘exploding’ product

Ola electric scooters are plagued by reports of fires and battery explosions

Bhavish Aggarwal at the launch of the Ola electric scooter in Bengaluru, India, in 2021 (AFP via Getty)

An Indian CEO engaged in a public spat on social media after a comedian criticised his company’s electric scooters, which have been plagued by reports of fires and battery explosions.

Bhavish Aggarwal, founder of Ola Electric, clashed with Kunal Kamra after the comedian posted about abandoned Ola scooters outside the company’s dealership, calling attention to safety concerns.

Ola’s scooters have been under scrutiny over reports of overheating and battery fires, a growing concern in India’s EV market.

What began as a straightforward critique spiralled into a public showdown, with Mr Aggarwal lashing out at the comedian in a series of increasingly combative tweets.

Mr Kamra first posted a picture of abandoned Ola scooters outside a dealership and asked: "Do Indian consumers have a voice? Two-wheelers are the lifeline for many daily wage workers.”

He asked people who have faced problems with the scooters to share their complaints publicly, tagging officials like the country’s transport minister.

The CEO, who also runs an Uber clone called Ola Cabs, hit back, writing: "Since you care so much @kunalkamra88, come and help us out!”

“I’ll even pay more than you earned for this paid tweet or from your failed comedy career. Or else sit quiet and let us focus on fixing the issues for the real customers.”

The dig at Mr Kamra’s career drew sharp responses from the comedian’s supporters.

Mr Kamra didn’t back down either, challenging the CEO to prove his claim that the tweet was paid. "If you can prove I am paid for this tweet or anything else against private companies, I’ll delete all social media and sit quietly forever," he said.

The war of words escalated when Mr Aggarwal mockingly invited Mr Kamra to work at an Ola service centre to "show how much you truly care”.

Mr Kamra continued pressing the CEO on safety concerns. "Can you give a total refund to anyone who wants to return their OLA EV and who purchased it in the last 4 months? People not being able to get to their workplace need your accountability,” he asked.

Mr Aggarwal dismissed the idea of refunds but maintained that Ola was working to expand its service network.

"We have enough programs for our customers if they face service delays. If you were a genuine one, you would have known. Come and do some real work rather than armchair criticism."

Netizens were quick to side with Kamra, criticising Mr Aggarwal for his "arrogant" and "ignorant" responses.

"Kamra didn’t take your customers' money and deliver substandard service. You did that," one X user wrote.

“Such a display of arrogance is remarkable,” wrote another user. “ It would be more beneficial if he dedicated this time to enhancing his service and resolving customer complaints.”

While Aggarwal attempted to downplay the comedian’s criticism, the online exchange brought renewed focus to mounting complaints about Ola’s electric scooters, which continue to face scrutiny for safety and service failures.

Last month, an angry customer allegedly tried to set an Ola showroom on fire after his newly bought scooter ran into problems.

In October 2023, an Ola scooter caught fire in the parking area of a college in Pune. Videos of the incident showed heavy smoke rising from the scooter, and local firefighters had to be called to put out the fire.

Ola Electric attributed the incident to aftermarket parts causing a short circuit, insisting that their investigation confirmed the battery was intact and functional​.