A Dubai-based Indian professional has sparked a wave of backlash after inviting MBA students from India’s top business schools to apply for an unpaid short-term project. Sahil Deshmukh’s LinkedIn post on a “no stipend” position for MBA students was met with outrage, with many calling it a slap in the face of students who spend lakhs and work hard to secure admission to B-schools like the IIMs and XLRI.
The problematic hiring post
Deshmukh, who works as a Manager in the Global CEO’s Office at Erba Mannheim, is himself a graduate of IIM Lucknow. In a post shared on LinkedIn one day ago, he announced a vacancy for MBA students from top institutions like the Indian Institute of Management and the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi.
“Looking for MBA students from IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, XLRI, MDI, or other top B-schools for a short-term live project,” Deshmukh wrote.
“It’s a 3-4 week remote project with no stipend, but a good opportunity to work closely with the leadership team on strategic initiatives,” the Dubai-based employee revealed.
He called the position “Ideal for someone looking to get real-world exposure and contribute meaningfully.”
The backlash
The backlash was swift, massive and entirely expected.
In the comments section of the post, many called out Deshmukh for expecting MBA students to work for free.
HT.com has reached out to him for a statement. This copy will be updated on receiving a response.
“Let’s put an end to the exploitation of unpaid internships. As Indians, it’s time we speak up against a toxic work culture that normalizes offering no stipend in exchange for full-time effort,” wrote one LinkedIn user.
“And the saga of unpaid work (in the name of ‘gaining experience’), keeps on thriving. Quite sad,” another said.
“Pay. It’s not a difficult thing to do. Don’t loot people in the name of experience,” LinkedIn user Piyush said.
“You want people from top B-schools to put their heart and soul into a project , ‘contribute meaningfully’ but with no stipend? Crazy,” another added.
The post also reached Reddit, where reactions were overwhelmingly negative. “Getting freshers with no experience a start is different, hiring generic MBAs is different. But asking for tier 1 MBAs and refusing to pay them is crazy,” a user said.