19-year-old influencer Sarthak Sachdeva sparked massive social media outrage after he uploaded a video in which he allegedly faked a hand injury to get a business class upgrade on an Air India flight. The video, originally shared on Instagram, has been deleted.
5 things about Sarthak Sachdeva:
#1: Social media presence:
Sachdeva has profiles across various social media platforms. His bio on YouTube, which at the moment has over three million subscribers, reads “If I am alive at the age of 60, I would want to look back at these”.
At the time of writing this report, his Instagram had more than 1.7 million followers.
He shares various kinds of videos on social media. While some of them show his foreign trips, others capture him exploring hidden gems within India.
Additionally, he also shares “social experiment” videos. In one such video shared in 2025, he claimed that he was served “artificial paneer” at Torii, a Mumbai-based restaurant owned by Gauri Khan.
#2: Where is he from?
According to his LinkedIn profile, he hails from Pune, Maharashtra.
#3: Where did he study?
{{/usCountry}}According to his LinkedIn profile, he hails from Pune, Maharashtra.
#3: Where did he study?
{{/usCountry}}The influencer joined Delhi Public School, Pune, in 2011 and completed his high school studies in 2023, as per his LinkedIn profile.
#4: When did he join YouTube?
The influencer, who has made a name for himself on social media, especially YouTube, joined the platform in 2020, as shared on his LinkedIn profile.
#5: Did he address the recent row?
Sarthak Sachdeva is yet to officially address the row. However, the video shared on his social media channels has been deleted following the backlash.
(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Sarthak Sachdeva about the recent row. The report will be updated when he responds.)
What did the video show?
In the now-deleted video, Sachdeva says, “Today I will see if with a fake fracture I can get a business class ticket for free.” As the video progressed, he shared that he wore a sling and a neck brace before approaching the Air India customer care desk at the airport.
He then asked the airline executive for a free upgrade due to his injuries and received one. The clip goes on to show his business class experience on the flight. He ended the video by saying, “This was just a social experiment”.
It is unclear if he paid the difference amount to the airline after or during the flight.
(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Air India. The report will be updated when the airline responds.)