Ola CEO Suggests Rupee Over Dollar Symbol On Keyboards, Faces Backlash

New Delhi: Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal faced backlash on social media after suggesting that the dollar sign on keyboards should be replaced with the rupee symbol in India. In his post, Bhavesh wrote, “Maybe this has something to do with it! Wonder why the $ is not replaced with ₹ in products sold in India. 

See the post: 

Aggarwal also posted a picture of a keyboard highlighting the dollar sign "$." The post sparked reactions online, with many users criticizing the Ola CEO for his comments. 

Netizens React: 

A user wrote, “Change begins at home. Next time you give a presentation, use ₹ instead of $. Then come back and morally police other brands.”

Another wrote, “Only a person who works on MS Excel knows the answer. $ is used to freeze a row or column in Excel formulas, and ₹ can’t do that. That’s why $ is used universally for that purpose. However, you can anytime use ₹ in your computer.” 

“The use of $ in global formulas has become the norm due to its widespread acceptance, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t advocate for our own ₹. Promoting the Indian currency and ensuring it gets the recognition it deserves in both local and international products.” a third user commented. 

Another added, “₹ needs more visibility in the products we use. Bhavish’s push is about embracing our currency with pride.”