'I’m done living the “building in India” dream': Bengaluru CEO triggers debate on doing business in India

A LinkedIn post by Rohit Shroff, CEO of Bengaluru-based Aflog, has ignited a heated online debate after he announced plans to leave India, citing relentless tax scrutiny and a lack of incentives for honest taxpayers. "The goal for 2026 is simple: move out of the country and build elsewhere", Rohit wrote. His remarks, framed as a personal reckoning rather than a political statement, quickly went viral.

Aflog, according to the user's bio is led by his wife, who is also the co-founder. Shroff said that over the past 12 to 18 months he has paid more than $500,000, which amounts to roughly Rs. 4 crore, in GST and income tax across his businesses. Despite this, he argued that India’s tax regime treats its most compliant contributors with 'suspicion by default', subjecting them to repeated checks and clarifications.

"In India, barely 4–5% of the population pays income tax. And yet, when notices are sent, clarifications raised, and scrutiny intensified, the same small group keeps getting targeted. The compliant. The ones already inside the system", Rohit pointing out. Notices, follow-ups and intensified reviews, he wrote, tend to circle back to the same compliant taxpayers rather than expanding the base.

The entrepreneur described layered oversight, including frequent GST audits and income-tax queries, with little acknowledgement in return. Businesses, he argued, comply not out of goodwill but because challenging the system costs more than acquiescing. Most simply “pay, respond, and move on”.

Shroff contended that the system prioritises political majorities over formal entrepreneurs, calling such business owners 'politically insignificant' and therefore 'easy to ignore or extract from'. He compared India with countries where Indian founders run large companies, arguing that people leave not out of resentment but because growth is penalised and slowed.

The CEO ended his post with the words, “I’m done. I’m done living the “building in India” dream” clarifying his stance he said, "This isn’t about patriotism. It’s about reality. The system is flawed. There is no real development, and there is no genuine ease of doing business here", drawing widespread reaction from netizens on LinkedIn.

Responses were mixed. Some founders echoed his frustration, urging policymakers to take notice. A user wrote, "Can someone tag some of the senior government officials and politicians to see this. I think its time for the govt to wake up to fix these." Another wrote, "This is a sad but hard hitting point. The people in the organized sector are targets only because it is easy to drive compliance."

While others pushed back, saying strict scrutiny is necessary and that full compliance prevents notices altogether. A user questioned, "Let's cut through the drama. You're complaining about the scrutiny and the system, yet you've managed to build a substantial business and contribute to the country's economy?" Another commented, “I think its best you leave, and let us develop and grow India.”