Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal has garnered support from the startup community after facing backlash for wearing a $400 Burberry t-shirt while announcing no salary hikes for employees.

During a virtual town hall, Munjal appeared in a Burberry t-shirt and explained that Unacademy had not met its growth targets, leading to the decision not to hold appraisals. His choice of apparel sparked criticism online, but Munjal has since received backing from fellow CEOs and business leaders.

Zeta Suite co-founder Bhavin Turakhia criticized the media for sensational headlines, questioning whether the issue would have arisen if Munjal's t-shirts were worth $4 instead of $400. Turakhia highlighted Munjal's accountability for Unacademy's challenges and the sacrifices made by the founding team, including pay cuts and aligning their incentives with company performance.

Sumanth Raghavendra, founder of Presentations Al, took a more humorous approach, jokingly tweeting about replacing his Burberry t-shirts with cheaper alternatives to avoid media scrutiny. The tweet has since been deleted.