'How can he even survive in Gurugram...': CEO's 'Khoon Choose Rahein' post over 5-Star hotel paying interns Rs 2000/Month goes viral

Rajesh Sawhney, the CEO of GSF Accelerator, expressed disappointment with a Gurgaon 5-star hotel for offering a very low stipend to an intern. He learned the intern was only receiving Rs 2,000 per month and shared his dismay on the microblogging platform X.

On March 22, Rajesh Sawhney shared his experience of talking to a young lobby manager at Le Meridian in Gurugram. He found out that the manager, a graduate from a local catering college in Dehradun, had been interning at the hotel for three months, earning only Rs 2,000 per month. Sawhney criticized the low pay, wondering how the intern could manage to live in Gurugram with such a small amount.

"Went for a startup meetup at Le Meridian in Gurugram. A young lobby manager approached me with an intent to help…we got chatting a bit. This boy is from Dehradoon, a graduate from the local catering college and interning for the last 3 months. Le Meridian pays him just Rs 2,000/- per month. This is disgusting..how can he even survive in this amount in Gurugram. Khoon Choose Rahein Hain Bachoin Ka," he said.

Sawhney's critique has gained a lot of attention, with over 240,000 views and nearly 1,000 likes since it was posted. Many people have shared their thoughts in the comments, reflecting a mix of reactions. Some agree with Sawhney and shared their own experiences and worries about internship conditions in India. They're concerned about unpaid internships and low stipends, calling for changes to ensure interns are treated fairly.

"Well if you wish to learn and you are nof paying .. that is good enough .. khoon to education Dene Wale choos rahe Hain .. education dete nahin , skill badhate nahin aur Paisa bhi lete hain," a user wrote. Another one commented, "Many are interning for free in industries like retail, many startups just pay travel expense. Welcome to internship reality in India." "This guy from Dehradoon has clearly chosen the wrong industry to pursue a career in. Too much work for too little pay," a third user commented.

Someone who has firsthand experience working in hospitality vouched for the intern's claim, confirming its truthfulness.

"I am a hospitality graduate and he is correct when I did my internship few years back I received 500rs . you have no idea what Hotel gives to intern.," a person said.

In the last two decades, Rajesh has built many successful businesses as a serial entrepreneur and business developer. He's also a co-founder at InnerChef. With GSF, he helps tech startups by providing mentorship from top digital experts, initial funding, and global exposure. Moreover, he's invested in fifty startup ventures as an angel investor.