American influencer faces backlash over controversial post on India: “1.5 billion people, zero achievements” |

Sometimes social media goes too far, and this week was one of those times. American influencer and writer Charles Haywood stirred up a storm on X (formerly Twitter) with a comment that had people across India and honestly, across the world shaking their heads. His take? That in the modern era, not a single Indian has achieved “anything of truly major note.” Yes, you read that right. He claimed that out of 1.5 billion people, India has supposedly produced “zero achievements.”“Has a single (subcontinent) Indian ever accomplished anything of truly major note in the modern period, in any field? I can’t think of one. Nor can Grok. Seems odd, given there are 1.5 billion of them, and we’re told we need to accept endless waves of them for their “talent.”The internet didn’t take that lying down. Indians and even non-Indians jumped in, calling out the tweet as not only ignorant but also laughably wrong. After all, we’re talking about a country and a diaspora that has given the world Nobel Prize winners, global CEOs, world-class doctors, cutting-edge scientists, and some of the most influential thinkers and leaders alive today.

Why people are outrage

First, let’s be clear: you can criticize countries, politics, or policies but dismissing the contributions of an entire population is another level. India, as a modern nation, may still be dealing with issues like poverty, corruption, or inequality, but to say “zero achievements” ignores reality.Think about it, Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google), Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft), Indra Nooyi (former CEO of PepsiCo), and Parag Agrawal (former Twitter CEO) aren’t exactly nobodies. They’re leading some of the world’s most influential companies, shaping how billions of people live, work, and communicate. That’s not just “something,” that’s world-changing.Then there’s science and medicine. Indian-American scientists and doctors have played key roles in medical research, space exploration, and even the COVID-19 vaccine. Back home, ISRO (India’s space agency) has pulled off missions at a fraction of the cost NASA spends most recently, landing Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s south pole, a historic first.Sports? India gave the world cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who are global icons. Literature? Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, and Jhumpa Lahiri are household names in the literary world. And don’t forget Nobel laureates like Amartya Sen (Economics) and Kailash Satyarthi (Peace).So yeah, the claim that Indians have done “nothing” doesn’t just miss the mark—it’s flat-out wrong.

The troll backlash

As soon as Haywood’s tweet went live, the trolling began. Some users clapped back with lists of Indian achievements. Others mocked the comment with memes showing Indian-origin CEOs running the very tech platforms he uses to post such statements. Would you not count Srinivasan Ramanujan? Or Jamsetji and Dorabji Tata? Or Dhirubai Ambani?, asks on X user. “Funny, I asked Grok that same question and it came up with a dozen (radically shortened):Sundar Pichai: CEO of Google & Alphabet Ritu Karidhal Srivastava she led the team that achieved India’s historic soft landing on the Moon’s south poleUPI: revolutionized digital payments,” posted another.

Why it matters

Some might dismiss this as “just another controversial tweet,” but there’s a bigger picture. Statements like these feed into stereotypes and erase the very real struggles and successes of millions. India, like any other country, has flaws. But it’s also one of the fastest-growing economies, a hub for technology, and a country whose diaspora is shaping global culture, medicine, and innovation.More importantly, many young Indians look up to figures in tech, sports, and science as proof that they can achieve big things. When someone with a platform dismisses all of that, it’s not just insulting—it’s damaging.

Lessons from the backlash

What this episode really shows is that the internet won’t let sweeping generalizations slide anymore. Social media has given people a megaphone, and when someone tries to tear down the achievements of a whole group, others are quick to fact-check, push back, and set the record straight.At the same time, it’s also a reminder that achievements don’t always have to come in the form of Nobel Prizes or billion-dollar companies. Sometimes it’s about resilience, like how Indian farmers, workers, and ordinary families keep things moving in one of the most complex societies on Earth. That too is an achievement.Charles Haywood might have thought he was making a bold point, but his comment about India backfired badly. Instead of sparking intellectual debate, it revealed a shallow understanding of global contributions. The trolling he received was well-deserved—and honestly, kind of poetic.Because here’s the truth: Indians aren’t just achieving, they’re thriving—whether it’s leading Fortune 500 companies, breaking new ground in science, writing award-winning books, or sending spacecraft to the Moon. Dismissing 1.5 billion people with a single tweet doesn’t just look arrogant; it looks ridiculous.So next time someone claims Indians haven’t done “anything of note,” maybe remind them they’re probably saying that while scrolling on a device coded, built, or designed by—you guessed it—an Indian.



_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}