Bengaluru-based Artificial Intelligence startup, Saarthi.ai, is currently under intense scrutiny amid severe allegations of unpaid salaries and a peculiar claim made by its CEO. The company, which was once seen as a promising player in the AI space, is now facing mounting challenges that have cast a shadow over its future.
In September 2022, Saarthi.ai undertook a series of mass layoffs in a bid to regain profitability. However, the situation appears to have worsened since then. Reports indicate that the company has allegedly withheld salaries from over 50 employees since March 2023, exacerbating financial instability and employee dissatisfaction.
Despite these troubling claims, Vishwa Nath Jha, the founder and CEO of Saarthi.ai, has dismissed the allegations as part of a “defamation campaign.” In a recent interview with Entrackr, Jha made headlines with a startling assertion: he alleged that a senior employee had stolen his passport, which contained a crucial US visa. Jha revealed, “While I managed to reissue a new passport, I am yet to get the US visa again. It’s a long queue.” He suggested that this incident has impeded his ability to travel abroad for essential fundraising efforts.
The narrative from employees, both current and former, presents a stark contrast to Jha’s perspective. They describe a company grappling with financial woes and operational difficulties, painting a grim picture of a startup on the brink of collapse. The discord between the leadership’s statements and the employees’ experiences highlights the deepening crisis at Saarthi.ai.
As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on Saarthi.ai to see how it will navigate these challenges and address the serious concerns raised by its workforce.
