Why is the Indian Workplace basically a season of Bigg Boss?
Honestly, working in India does not feel like teamwork and more like being under constant surveillance. The default corporate culture isn’t trust. It’s suspicion. Startups, corporates, are all the same.
You take a 20-minute coffee break? Your manager thinks you’re giving an interview in the parking lot. You log off at 6 PM sharp? “Oh, lagta hai kaam kam hai iske paas” You fall sick on a Monday? HR wants a medical certificate, a blood sample, and a sworn affidavit before approving that one day of SL. You don’t reply in 7 minutes on Teams? Suddenly you’re “unresponsive” and “not proactive”.
And the bloody theatrics. Every task needs a status update. Every status update needs a follow-up. Every follow-up needs a meeting. Then the meeting ends with “let’s take it offline”, which is jus code for “nothing will happen, but please keep looking busy”.
Why are we like this?
It’s the god damn Indian scarcity mindset. We don’t view colleagues as teammates. We view them as threats. The “bhai-bhai” culture over sutta breaks is the biggest scam. The same guy calling you “bro” downstairs is CC-ing your boss on a passive-aggressive email upstairs, just to cover his own ass and throw you under the bus.
Everyone is hoarding information like it’s nuclear codes. Nobody documents anything properly because then it is simple for someone else to do it and everyone knows how long it really takes. If I tell you how to do it, I become replaceable. So we have this weird ecosystem where people pretend to be helpful while gatekeeping the one spreadsheet, the one process, the one contact that actually matters.
And then there’s the obsession with control. Biometric attendance like we’re entering a high-security prison. Managers treating WFH like a personal insult because they can’t physically see you typing. productivity only exists when you look miserable at your desk under tube lights.
I’m tired of the constant CYA (Cover Your Ass) emails. The “as discussed” weapons. The screenshot culture. The “looping in seniors for visibility” drama. fyi only and the fake urgency. The fake niceness. The fake “we’re a family” while everyone is quietly sharpening knives behind the scenes.
We spend 40% of our energy actually working and 60% proving that we are working. It helps absolutely no one. It’s just exhausting.
And the saddest part? When trust is missing, even good people become paranoid and act out. Everyone plays defence. Everyone focuses on keeping a trail. Everyone assumes the worst. You’re not building a company at that point. You’re just doing absolutely nothing.
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We are a low trust society now. The only way to play the game is by the rules that has been set.
The only way to maintain sanity in this insane world is never be in touch with coworkers outside the office. Both current and ex.
I agree with all that you said. Would like to add however that I’ve experienced the same behaviour in other cultures and countries - particularly in the US. These guys play politics like there’s no tomorrow. And I’m talking about execs making $4-6+ Mn easy down to the floor-level dispensable worker - everyone does it. There’s a reason ‘The Office’ was such a hit in the US.
Wondering if there's ANY corporate office where the culture is different... genuinely.
Indian workolace culture even if its an MNC is the same.. you will never find peace or let alone any support. Everyone is one way or the other trying to cut evryone. Work for 5 folks get salary if one
Sir my colleague which I haven seen in like 6 months complained yesterday to boss about me that I he was giving me feedbacks on our regular meets in office 🥲🙏🏻
You said it! Let's begin....blame our bosses... culture begins at the top. Yatha raja tatha praja..
Our manager don’t have spine to take stand in front of toxic directors
Most of the Amazon L6 manager save their ass and pip L5 and L4 when something doesn’t work .
You missed one point. "If I've struggled to reach this point, then why aren't you struggling?" type mentality xD
Man, I feel you,and you know what? All those corrupted mindset, has been/is being passed down as the new people join corporate. So it's a never ending loop.
The problem is with our people as well. When given flexibility, they tend to undervalue it, feeling it's coming under their comfort zone or else misuse it. When it's systematic, we start questioning whether we are robots.
There's simply no "balance" of the best.
It's in our DNA. And no matter what, how hard a person tries, he/she won't be a good person when working, because "others" will always throw them under the bus, and this just gets passed down the hierarchy.
The entire planet needs a reset.
You forgot to mention “Yes Man” rising up with buttering skills.. and silent workers who dont market their work are used and thrown away in lay offs.. or they find another job where the cycle repeats
Same here bhai, I don't even know how I am gonna survive tomorrow. Just praying everyday. Wasting time everyday. We don't have any other income sources bro, what to do. Let me know if you have a solution. I'll dive in the next second.