An Indian tech company’s CEO’s recent post about his co-passenger’s behaviour on a San Francisco to Delhi flight has gone viral on social media.
The CEO claimed that a 25-year-old IIT-Bombay graduate, despite earning an impressive salary at a US-based AI startup, got drunk mid-air and ended up wetting himself.
Gaurav Kheterpal, founder and CEO of Vanshiv Technologies, shared his unpleasant flight experience in a now-viral post on X.
He said he was seated next to the young Indian professional who graduated from IIT-Bombay and worked at an AI startup in the Bay Area, reportedly earning nearly $500,000 (Rs 4.16 crore) a year.
“On my SFO-Delhi flight today, the passenger next to me was a 25-year-old Indian, IIT-Mumbai, earning almost $500K in an AI startup in Bay Area, heading home for Diwali,” wrote the Jaipur-based entrepreneur.
According to Kheterpal, the man consumed around 11 beers during the 16-hour journey. When the cabin crew stopped serving him more alcohol, he asked Kheterpal and his colleagues to get drinks on his behalf.
“When the flight attendant refused to give him more than three beers, he requested me and my team (we had three people) to take it and give it to him — we did,” Kheterpal admitted.
He went on to say that the passenger eventually passed out and urinated on himself, forcing Kheterpal and his team to move seats because of the stench.
“He then passed out after a few hours of drinking and, unsurprisingly, wetted his pants. We had to move to different seats for some time due to the smell. Needless to say, he did not even make eye contact after that,” he wrote.
Expressing his disappointment, Kheterpal criticised the man’s conduct and said such behaviour tarnished India’s image abroad.
“An IIT grad earning nearly 4 crore rupees every year, living the American dream in Silicon Valley, unable to control his urge for a few free beers on a flight—unbelievable! When will we as Indians stop embarrassing ourselves in front of the whole world, especially as poor travellers?” he added.
Take a look at the viral post here:
The post has garnered over half a million views in just a day. It has also managed to spark mixed reactions. Several users questioned Kheterpal’s decision to assist the drunk passenger, while others doubted the authenticity of his story.
“This never happened; it’s a made-up story by you for engagement farming,” commented one user. Another wrote, “25-year-old Indian, IIT-Mumbai, earning almost $500K in an AI startup. Of all things that didn’t happen, this didn’t happen the most.”
Responding to such scepticism, Kheterpal defended his claims, writing, “Most people here have no idea of Bay Area AI startup packages. AI engineers and data scientists are being paid million-dollar joining bonuses, yet people can’t believe someone with an IIT tag working at 500K. Ignorance is bliss!”
See the comments here:
While the authenticity of Kheterpal’s account remains a topic of debate, the post has undeniably sparked conversations around behaviour, privilege, and accountability among Indian professionals abroad.
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