Former banker’s viral video on ‘toxic’ work culture sparks debate

A 24-year-old former banker and an IIT graduate, Chirag Madaan, has sparked a debate on workplace practices in the banking sector after a video explaining his resignation went viral on social media.

In the video, posted on March 10, Madaan said he quit his Rs 17-lakh per annum job citing a “toxic” work culture and intense sales pressure. “I left it because of two reasons — culture and mistakes,” he said, adding that what was expected to be a “9-to-5” job often stretched to “9-to-7” with a six-day work week. “We don’t even have time to have lunch… we are expected to eat in 15 minutes and get back to work,” he said.

He also pointed to the pressure to meet steep targets. “Sales is the only job, they said… they expected us to bring Rs 10 crore deals every month,” he said, adding that failure to meet targets created a stressful environment.

Madaan raised concerns over selling costly financial products. “You are expected to sell trading apps at Rs 10,000 a year when platforms like Zerodha and Groww are available for free,” he said. “I can’t even convince myself on why the apps are good and why I should recommend these to a customer.”

Highlighting ethical concerns, he added, “I wouldn’t even recommend that to my father.”

The video has since gained traction online, triggering conversations around work-life balance, sales practices and employee well-being in the banking sector. Many users also commented on how they left their own jobs for similar reasons.