Ashneer Grover, the CEO of BharatPe, took to Twitter to express his dissatisfaction with business journalists in India, accusing them of being not only lazy but also indulging in gossip for monetary gain. In a tweet, Grover stated, “India ke business journalist sirf bike nahi hue – woh sust bhi hai! Gossip bechte hai – WhatsApp ke saath saath paise mil jaaye – kuchh bhi chhapte hai” (Indian business journalists are not only lazy but also sell gossip to make money – they publish anything with WhatsApp and money). He further pointed out that not a single journalist had read BharatPe’s annual report for FY22, which clearly stated that there were no instances of fraud reported by auditors to the Board of Directors.
Grover emphasized that the renowned auditing firm Deloitte, which was paid an audit fee of INR 4 crore ($550,000) for the fiscal year, had found no evidence of fraud. This fee was significantly higher than the INR 40 lakh ($55,000) he had paid Deloitte when he was the managing director.
His tweet highlights his frustration with the lack of research and credibility among some business journalists who, according to Grover, are more interested in spreading gossip and rumors rather than conducting thorough investigations. Grover’s statement brings attention to the need for responsible journalism and accurate reporting in the business sector, urging journalists to prioritize factual information and avoid sensationalism.
Ashneer Grover, also deletes and alters controversial tweet. In response to a question about his departure, he initially tweeted, “Inka kya aukaat mujhe nikalne” (“What is their status to remove me?”). However, Grover removed the tweet and changed his statement.
