An Argentine entrepreneur's first trip to India left him surprised by its traffic, food, people and public transport. However, his claim that Indians favour Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi sparked a debate online
India's contrasting lifestyles, bustling streets and welcoming people caught the attention of an Argentine entrepreneur during his first visit to the country. While he was impressed by several aspects of everyday Indian life, some experiences left him surprised.
Frederico Ast, founder and CEO of Kleros, a decentralised arbitration and dispute resolution platform, took to X to share his observations from Mumbai. His post offered an outsider's perspective on the city's unique character, highlighting everything from its traffic and food to public transport and football culture.
Traffic was among the first things that caught his attention. Ast pointed out that vehicles drive on the left side of the road, while the constant honking and seemingly chaotic movement of vehicles made navigating the streets an experience in itself. He also remarked on the sheer number of auto-rickshaws, joking that there appeared to be more tuk-tuks than people.
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Another striking observation was the contrast between expensive residential towers and densely populated settlements situated close to one another. The city's high population density also stood out during his visit.
Spotless Metro, Spicy Food And Local Train Ride: His Mixed Experience
Despite his observations about Mumbai's traffic and urban challenges, Ast also had several positive things to say about India.
He was particularly impressed by the cleanliness of the Mumbai Metro, describing its stations and facilities as spotless. The kindness of local residents also made a lasting impression on him. He said people were incredibly welcoming and that he could walk through densely populated neighbourhoods without feeling unsafe or unwelcome.
Indian food, however, proved to be a different kind of experience. Ast admitted that dishes described as mildly spicy were considerably hotter than he had anticipated, highlighting how Indian flavours can surprise first-time visitors.
His experience of Mumbai's local trains also featured in the post. While he described the journey as fine overall, he was surprised to discover that the train doors remained open during the ride.
Together, his observations painted a picture of a city filled with contradictions, where crowded streets coexist with modern infrastructure and everyday chaos sits alongside remarkable warmth and hospitality.
'There Are More Messi Fans': Internet Challenges His Ronaldo Claim
The most talked-about part of Ast's post was his observation about football fandom in India. Coming from Argentina, a country closely associated with Lionel Messi, he was surprised by what he perceived as a stronger following for Cristiano Ronaldo among Indians.
However, his claim quickly attracted disagreement from social media users, many of whom argued that Messi enjoys an equally large, if not bigger, fan following in India.
"There are more Messi fans, you just haven't met them yet. Enjoy your time here," one user commented.
Another person shared a similar opinion, writing, "Messi and Ronaldo fans are kind of mixed in India but to my experience most Indians here prefer Messi."
Football fans also brought Uruguay's Luis Suarez into the conversation, with one user joking that India has supporters of the striker too.
Meanwhile, some users appreciated Ast's observations about the country, even if they acknowledged the less flattering aspects of his experience.
One commenter agreed that his assessment was fairly accurate, adding that accepting everyday problems is the first step towards addressing them.
Another user reminded him that India cannot be understood through Mumbai alone, pointing out that the country's culture, languages, food, clothing and lifestyle change considerably from one region to another. The commenter also suggested experiencing a Vande Bharat train journey to discover another side of Indian travel.
