🚨 Debate Erupts on LinkedIn Over Kunal Shah’s Entrepreneurial Legacy
Deloitte Senior Consultant Adarsh Samarpan sparked a heated debate on LinkedIn by questioning the widespread admiration for entrepreneur Kunal Shah, despite his ventures’ consistent financial losses over the past 15 years.
“Fifteen years into entrepreneurship, he has yet to record a single profitable financial year—so remind me again why we celebrate him?” Samarpan wrote.
The post drew mixed reactions:
⚖️ Critics echoed concerns about inflated valuations and the celebration of unprofitable startups.
💬 “Still wondering how such valuations were justified in 2015… Something hidden we don’t know,” one user remarked.
⚡ Supporters, however, highlighted Shah’s market-defining contributions:
💡 “He’s not just building companies—he’s transforming industries. FreeCharge redefined digital payments before UPI. CRED turned bill payments into a premium product. Profitability? Maybe not yet. But success in startups is about reshaping markets first,” one commenter argued.
The debate reflects a broader tension in India’s startup ecosystem: balancing long-term vision against short-term profitability.