Pros
• Competitive pay in some cases. • Brand name of Rakuten may look good on your resume (if you survive long enough).
Cons
• “The fish rots from the head” — leadership sets the tone, and unfortunately, it’s one of favoritism, confusion, and self-preservation over actual business impact. • Leadership hires people in their own image—yes-men and political players—who in turn push out capable, questioning employees. • There’s no vision, no real product direction, and no measurable outcomes. It’s all noise and internal presentations, not actual delivery. • Culture of bootlicking thrives — managers are rewarded for playing politics, not for performance or team growth. • Good talent leaves or is pushed out to make room for the “circle” to expand. • Zero accountability and inflated egos at the top; leaders spend more time congratulating each other than building anything meaningful. • Japan HQ is unaware or indifferent to the internal chaos at Rakuten India.