'Byju’s raised 6 times this amount...': Tax expert trolls Pakistan’s $1 bn IMF win

As Pakistan cheered a $1 billion disbursement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Indian tax professional Ajay Rotti delivered a viral takedown that captured Indian social media’s mood in one punchline.

“They are celebrating $1bn. This is a rounding off error in our budget,” Rotti posted on X, twisting the knife with a sharp follow-up:
“Byju’s raised six times THIS amount and put choona also. We aren’t even bothered 😂😂😂”

Rotti’s remarks came shortly after the IMF approved the first review of Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), unlocking $1 billion and bringing total disbursements under the programme to $2.1 billion. The Fund also approved an additional $1.4 billion under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), although that portion remains conditional.

While Pakistani media framed the IMF decision as a major success, India abstained from the vote, warning that the funds risk being misused for state-backed terrorism—especially in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians and was linked to Pakistan-based groups.

The contrast in tone was stark. While Islamabad touted economic resilience and macro reforms, Indian analysts and commentators saw the bailout as yet another stopgap measure for a collapsing economy. Rotti’s mocking reference to Byju’s—a startup that raised billions and still collapsed into crisis—was a pointed reminder of how $1 billion barely registers in India’s $3.7 trillion economy.

Pakistan’s foreign reserves currently stand at $10.3 billion, with a total external debt of $131 billion. The IMF has demanded stricter reforms in energy pricing, tax collection, and state-owned enterprise restructuring.

But back in India, Rotti’s quip did what years of economic analysis couldn’t—summarised the imbalance with a meme-worthy mic drop.