‘We believe in shortcuts…’: VC founder slams India’s ‘chalta hai mindset’, says real struggle is brutal execution gaps

Archana Jahagirdar, founder of Rukam Capital, has thrown a spotlight on what she calls India’s biggest entrepreneurial hurdle: execution. “We believe in shortcuts. And that’s the real challenge,” she said, arguing that despite a vast market and innovative ideas, businesses stumble when it comes to delivering consistent service.

In a post on LinkedIn, Jahagirdar wrote, “India is not short on market size. We’re short on execution. Especially in services. You can build the platform. Match demand and supply. Design the whole funnel.”

“But then comes the real game: delivering that service, every single day, with consistency. That’s where things break. Not because the idea is flawed. But because execution in India is brutal,” she explained.

“You’re navigating: Compliance chaos, Cultural resistance to structure, A deep rooted habit of ‘chalta hai’, And people constantly trying to out-clever the system.”

Citing an example, she shared, “Somebody once asked Abhiraj Singh Bhal (founder of Urban Company) if service providers eventually just steal customers and go direct. That question alone tells you everything. Even after years of building trust, creating jobs, driving volume, that’s still the first thing people assume,” she warned.

Highlighting the core challenge, Archana wrote, “Not because Urban Company didn’t execute. But because we, as a country, still don’t fully believe in systems. We believe in shortcuts. And that’s the real challenge. Not the TAM. Not the tech. Not the pricing. The real grind is building something reliable in a place that resists reliability at every turn.”

Her post struck a chord online, sparking strong reactions.

“Very well said, it’s so true — trying to clever the system. It’s deep rooted because we feel we have got a better deal. However we don’t realise that the very same systems that you circumvented by spending so much time/we could have used that time productively. However when it bites back, then we will realise — oh we could have avoided that and paid something extra and got a better service. That’s basic common sense which is so uncommon these days. We hardly use our brains. If you think deeply you will realise what to do,” wrote one user.

Another commented, “India is a hard country to crack in consistency. Everyone in the supply chain is looking to shortcut the process for their own benefit. The amount of energy and efforts by the team on QC and consistency is intense. Imagine if we could trust our team and partners. Our productivity will increase multifolds. Even the smallest task needs reminders and followups else things fall through the cracks. This needs an attitude change.”

“Absolutely spot on. Execution is the real battlefield in India — not because of lack of ideas or opportunity, but because of the cultural and systemic challenges that resist consistency. The way this highlights the deep-rooted ‘chalta hai’ mindset and our tendency to look for shortcuts rather than build systems — it’s brutally honest and much needed. The real hustle isn’t just launching something — it’s making it work every day in an environment that tests your patience, resilience, and belief in structure,” a third shared.