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Charles Haywood says ‘India has no truly major accomplishments’, founder trashes his claims with facts

Charles Haywood said he could not think of any field where India had accomplished another “truly major.” His tweet has received backlash.

Updated on: Aug 22, 2025, 09:54:08 IST
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An Indian entrepreneur lashed out at an American influencer over a post questioning India’s achievements in modern times. Dilip Kumar listed some historic moments to counter Charles Haywood’s allegations that India has no "major accomplishments".

American influencer Charles Haywood (L) and Indian entrepreneur Dilip Kumar (R). (X/@TheWorthyHouse, @kmr_dilip)
American influencer Charles Haywood (L) and Indian entrepreneur Dilip Kumar (R). (X/@TheWorthyHouse, @kmr_dilip)

How did it all start?

“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’,” Haywood wrote on X.

Also Read: ‘You want Google output at $8,000 per year?’: Indian techie lashes out at US clients, asks them to ‘chill’

How did the Indian founder react?

Venture capitalist Dilip Kumar reacted to Haywood by tweeting about some of India's prominent achievements. “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,” Kumar wrote.

“Btw, in the modern period you asked? 4 Indians got Nobel Prize. Amartya Sen (1998, Economics). Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009, Chemistry). Kailash Satyarthi (2014, Peace), Abhijit Banerjee (2019, Economics),” he continued, adding, “When you can’t see obvious contributions, it says less about Indians and more about your filters.”

Social media is furious:

While people backed Kumar’s tweet, many expressed anger towards Haywood. An individual wrote, “The more the hate, the better the payout. Honestly, we shouldn't even bother.”

Also Read: ‘So uneducated’: Indian-origin creator schools TikToker over video mocking Indian accent

Another posted, “You should never counter these morons. The total sum of contributions by Indians far exceeds any known human population. Let’s just keep our heads down and build a great future for our kids.” A third expressed, “Why do you think he deserves your response? Is he someone worth responding to?”

Who is Charles Haywood?

He is an American businessman known for his far-right blog and commentary. He has authored The Worthy House, which, according to Haywood’s official website, includes writings related “in some way to reality-based human flourishing in the post-liberal future.”

Who is Dilip Kumar?

Kumar, who completed his B.Tech from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, started his career as an engagement manager. Over the years, he has worked in various roles and also co-founded his own startups. He works with Zerodha-backed venture fund Rainmatters, which invests in healthcare products by Indian entrepreneurs.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More