Amit Dixit, Head of Asia Private Equity at Blackstone, shared a LinkedIn post about attending the wedding of Senior Associate Pranav Damani in Kerala. He described the visit as a special weekend in “God’s own country”. He wished Pranav and Aishwarya a happy married life.
In the post, Dixit mentions that he liked the henna design on Pranav’s hand, which included the words “Blackstone” and “JP Schools”. The mehendi design refers to the firm’s latest deal.
Dixit also highlighted Blackstone’s strong presence in Kerala. He said that it was likely the largest foreign investor in the state.
According to him, Blackstone has investments in companies such as Federal Bank, Aster Care, KIMS Trivandrum and IBS Software. He used hashtags related to Blackstone and Kerala in the post. The post included photos from the wedding celebrations, as well as the henna design.
Social media, however, had mixed reactions to the post.
“What a wonderful way to celebrate Pranav and Aishwarya! The henna detail featuring the Blackstone-JP Schools deal is a brilliant touch. It’s great to see your commitment to Kerala’s growth through Federal Bank and KIMS,” wrote one of them.
“Well, the mehendi is quite unique though! Congratulations to them,” commented another user.
Another user posted, “Coolest henna ever, thanks for sharing, Amit Dixit. Congratulations, Pranav Damani.”
Not everyone is pleased
However, not everyone was pleased to see the design.
“Imagine making one of the most cherishable days of your life about your company,” wrote one of them.
When the post was shared on Reddit, it got similar responses.
“Fixed the post for you, Amit. That’s how you wish someone at their wedding and not make it about your shared employer,” wrote a Reddit user while deleting the henna post and keeping the wedding pics only.
“Can’t believe someone in corporate communication thought that this is the correct way to go (all such posts by senior folks are vetted by them to check for information sharing). You clearly went to his wedding because he does your work, and not because you are happy for him and care enough,” the user added.
Another user wrote, “I think this kind of cringe bootlicking happens because many Indians lack hobbies or passions beyond their jobs. Whatever someone has, their identity, social status, and even their friend circle is often tied to their profession and nothing else. Their whole life revolves around their job.”
“At this point, I’m sure the bootlicking will pass on to future generations. Imagine showing your kids your wedding album, and they see this,” posted another user.