'Kya Chal Raha Hai?' Ola Founder mirrors Musk's policy to track employee progress

New Delhi: Following the lead of billionaire Elon Musk, who recently introduced a weekly report card system for US federal employees, Ola Founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has directed employees across his companies to submit weekly reports detailing their achievements.

The new initiative, called "Kya Chal Raha Hai?"—a Hindi phrase that translates to "What’s going on?"—requires Ola employees to send an email every week with 3-5 bullet points outlining the tasks they’ve completed.

According to a memo from Bhavish, the reports must be submitted to both their managers and a designated company email address, with no exceptions.

“We're starting 'Kya Chal Raha Hai?' - a simple way to share your weekly updates directly with me and your managers, starting today,” the internal email stated.

The email further instructed employees to send “a brief update to your manager and Kyachalrahahai@olagroup.in (email will be active in an hour or so) with 3-5 bullet points about what you got done last week.”

The deadline for the first report was set for the day following the announcement, with subsequent reports due every Sunday.

This directive comes at a time when Ola is undergoing significant changes, including a round of layoffs aimed at reducing costs and achieving profitability.

Ola Electric, the company’s electric vehicle arm, is reportedly planning to lay off more than 1,000 employees, marking the second major round of job cuts in just five months. The layoffs will impact various departments, including procurement, customer relations, and charging infrastructure, as Ola seeks to streamline its operations.

Aggarwal’s new reporting requirement mirrors a policy introduced by Musk, who recently mandated that US federal employees submit weekly accomplishment reports in bullet points. This policy, introduced under Musk’s role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aims to improve accountability and reduce inefficiencies in government operations.

However, Musk’s directive has faced criticism for potentially lowering employee morale and job security.

This is not the first time Aggarwal has taken a firm stance on employee performance. In December last year, he sent an internal email warning staff about poor attendance.