Anand Mahindra, the billionaire automaker, is among the most popular businessmen in India on social media. The businessman makes aggressive use of his internet influence, often posting inspirational sayings and heartwarming tales of Desi invention.
Mahindra has, however, come under fire on many occasions for allegedly “romanticising” the hardships and arduous labor of regular employees and business owners.
The last time he released a video of YouTuber Chris Lewis visiting the food stand managed by PhD candidate Tarul Rayan at SRM Chennai, he received backlash.
This clip went viral a while ago.
An American vlogger discovers a Ph.D candidate running a food stall, part-time.
What struck me as truly special, however, was the end, when he picks up his phone & the vlogger thinks he’s going to show him social media mentions of his… pic.twitter.com/e9zMizTJwG
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) October 4, 2024
“What really stood out to me, though, was at the very end. The vlogger assumed he would show him mentions of his stall on social media, but he proudly showed him the research papers he had written online!” stated Mahindra.
Many others who saw the film disagreed, saying that systematic disparities are not anything to be proud of.
Mahindra’s interpretation of X was called “Romanticism of people’s hardship in the name of nationalism” in one of the responses.
“It’s a shame Anand Mahindra celebrates poverty porn instead of asking the government to give reasonable stipends to its researchers,” a user said.
“Food blogger is Desi Chris,” wrote a third. We need to be more worried about the situation of research researchers in India rather than romanticizing this. If they had been given the right allowance, he would have been able to sustain himself more effectively.”
Mahindra was also advised to examine herself and improve upon her inability to read the room.
Will you ask your child to get an MBA before asking them to apply for a Thella? “So why is it being sensationalized?” inquired one.
Biotechnology student Rayan, from Chennai, divides his time between research and business. He operates a food cart in the evenings; it’s marked on Google Maps.
