Over the past few decades, India has earned recognition for its advancements in science, technology, literature, and economics. From sending spacecraft to the Moon to developing one of the world’s most successful digital payment systems, the country has marked several milestones. Many Indians have also risen to global leadership roles, heading some of the most influential companies and winning international awards. Despite these accomplishments, a recent social media post by an American businessman questioning India’s contributions in modern times triggered sharp reactions online.
The controversy began when American businessman and blogger Charles Haywood wrote on X that he could not recall a single Indian achievement of global importance in recent history. He further suggested that given India’s population of over a billion, the absence of what he viewed as a “major accomplishment” was unusual. His remarks were widely criticized as dismissive of India’s record.
Dilip Kumar Responds With Facts
Among those who reacted was Bengaluru-based venture capitalist Dilip Kumar, who strongly rejected Haywood’s claims. Pointing to India’s space programme, he highlighted the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which in 2023 made India the first country to land a spacecraft near the Moon’s south pole—an achievement even NASA has not accomplished.
Kumar also drew attention to India’s fintech success, noting that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) now handles more than ten billion transactions each month, while the United States continues to develop real-time payment systems. To further underline international recognition, he listed recent Nobel laureates from India: Amartya Sen in Economics (1998), Venkatraman Ramakrishnan in Chemistry (2009), Kailash Satyarthi in Peace (2014), and Abhijit Banerjee in Economics (2019). He concluded by suggesting that overlooking such contributions reflected bias rather than reality.
Online Reactions
Kumar’s post received wide support, with many users applauding his fact-based rebuttal. Several pointed out that Indians have gone on to lead global corporations such as Google, Microsoft, and PepsiCo, which continue to shape industries worldwide. Others criticized Haywood’s statement as uninformed and argued that India’s achievements in science, literature, sports, and technology cannot be ignored.
While some voices argued that responding to such criticism only amplifies divisive views, many emphasized that dismissing the progress of an entire nation undermines both the struggles and successes of its people.
Charles Haywood runs The Worthy House, a far-right blog that he describes as focused on “reality-based human flourishing in the post-liberal future.”
Dilip Kumar, on the other hand, is an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who studied at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. He began his career as an engagement manager before moving into leadership roles and launching startups. He is currently part of Zerodha-backed Rainmatter, a venture fund supporting healthcare-focused innovations in India.
While India might be dealing with its set of challenges, its contributions in space exploration, financial technology, science, and global leadership are widely acknowledged, making it difficult to dismiss the nation’s impact on the modern world.
The controversy began when American businessman and blogger Charles Haywood wrote on X that he could not recall a single Indian achievement of global importance in recent history. He further suggested that given India’s population of over a billion, the absence of what he viewed as a “major accomplishment” was unusual. His remarks were widely criticized as dismissive of India’s record.
Dilip Kumar Responds With Facts
Among those who reacted was Bengaluru-based venture capitalist Dilip Kumar, who strongly rejected Haywood’s claims. Pointing to India’s space programme, he highlighted the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which in 2023 made India the first country to land a spacecraft near the Moon’s south pole—an achievement even NASA has not accomplished.
Kumar also drew attention to India’s fintech success, noting that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) now handles more than ten billion transactions each month, while the United States continues to develop real-time payment systems. To further underline international recognition, he listed recent Nobel laureates from India: Amartya Sen in Economics (1998), Venkatraman Ramakrishnan in Chemistry (2009), Kailash Satyarthi in Peace (2014), and Abhijit Banerjee in Economics (2019). He concluded by suggesting that overlooking such contributions reflected bias rather than reality.
ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 landed on the Moon’s south pole in 2023 and India is the first nation ever to do so. NASA hasn’t. UPI processes 10B+ transactions monthly in India. The US is still figuring out realtime payments.
— Dilip Kumar (@kmr_dilip) August 21, 2025
Btw, in the modern period you asked? 4 Indians got Nobel Prize.… https://t.co/GG7HvWNQZE
Online Reactions
Kumar’s post received wide support, with many users applauding his fact-based rebuttal. Several pointed out that Indians have gone on to lead global corporations such as Google, Microsoft, and PepsiCo, which continue to shape industries worldwide. Others criticized Haywood’s statement as uninformed and argued that India’s achievements in science, literature, sports, and technology cannot be ignored.
While some voices argued that responding to such criticism only amplifies divisive views, many emphasized that dismissing the progress of an entire nation undermines both the struggles and successes of its people.
Charles Haywood runs The Worthy House, a far-right blog that he describes as focused on “reality-based human flourishing in the post-liberal future.”
Dilip Kumar, on the other hand, is an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who studied at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. He began his career as an engagement manager before moving into leadership roles and launching startups. He is currently part of Zerodha-backed Rainmatter, a venture fund supporting healthcare-focused innovations in India.
While India might be dealing with its set of challenges, its contributions in space exploration, financial technology, science, and global leadership are widely acknowledged, making it difficult to dismiss the nation’s impact on the modern world.
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