Silent Observer

Positive, spiritual, sincere

[SANATAN @Eternaldharma_]

NO MEDIA COVERED THIS… 💔🥲

THIS IS LALCHAND, WHO SOLD HIS WIFE’S JEWELRY TO BUILD A BAMBOO BRIDGE IN HIS VILLAGE SO THAT CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY COULD EASILY CROSS THE RIVER.

BUT SADLY, NO ONE IS MAKING HIM FAMOUS. 💔😔

[Malay Krishna @Malay4Product]

This might be the smartest $100 million Reliance ever spent.

Let me explain everything about the ProPublica investigation that dropped today.

Let's start with the problem Reliance had.

Through most of last year, the Trump administration was at war with the Ambani energy empire. Tariffs on India kept climbing.

The stated reason was Russian oil.

Reliance runs the biggest refining complex in the world at Jamnagar, and it was buying massive amounts of discounted Russian crude. Washington made Reliance the face of that fight.

So the Ambanis had a very expensive problem. American policy was squeezing their core business.

Now watch what happened next.

In late November, Donald Trump Jr. flew to Jamnagar. Anant Ambani personally took him around Vantara, the family's private zoo.

At night the two of them danced garba together, smiling for the cameras. A nice friendly visit between two famous families. Nothing unusual on the surface.

Four months later, a tiny Texas company called America First Refining announced it had received at least $100 million from Reliance.

America First Refining wants to build the first major new oil refinery in America in 50 years. Sounds ambitious. But the company had been trying and failing to raise money for years. It kept missing deadlines. It kept changing its name. Its founder had been sued for fraud multiple times and had a history of bankruptcy.

Serious energy investors had looked at this project and walked away.

And Reliance, one of the most sophisticated energy companies on the planet, a company that knows refining better than almost anyone alive, suddenly wired this struggling startup nine figures.

What had happened was that Donald Trump Jr. had secretly bought a stake in America First Refining.

Nobody knew. The size of his stake and what he paid for it are still unknown. But the company's top executives say they talk to him regularly. He personally joined their pitch meeting with Saudi investors in South Florida.

And after the Reliance money was announced, his own lawyer went on social media and took credit for helping make the deal happen.

So the president's son owned a piece of the company. Then the company that was getting crushed by the president's tariffs put $100 million into it.

Once this was done, the favours started flowing almost immediately.

ProPublica got internal emails from the Texas environmental agency handling the startup's permit.

One official wrote, need to get this one logged and processed asap. Another wrote, you can guess if you check out the name. The permit was approved the next day. The agency says it was just because the paperwork was good. You can decide how convincing that is.

Then came the big wins.

In February, India finally got its trade deal with the United States after months of pain. Reliance got a license to buy Venezuelan oil. And after the Iran war, India got an early waiver to keep buying Russian crude, the exact thing the tariff fight was supposedly about.

There is more history here too.

Reliance paid the Trump Organization a $10 million development fee back in 2024 for a project that has never been announced. Ivanka Trump was a guest at Anant's wedding. Mukesh Ambani sat at Trump's second inauguration.

Forbes estimated in December that Trump Jr.'s net worth jumped from roughly $50 million to $300 million since the election. That estimate only counts investments that are publicly known. The America First Refining stake was not publicly known until today. Which raises the obvious question of how many more deals like this exist that we have not found yet.

Trump Jr.'s spokesperson says he is just a passive minority investor with no operational role. Maybe.

But passive investors do not usually join Saudi pitch meetings or have lawyers claiming credit for nine figure deals.

For India, Reliance is not some side player. It is the largest company in the country. Its decisions shape our energy security, our trade position, and our stock market.

It is a big travesty if our biggest corporate house has to route $100 million through the American president's son to get fair treatment on trade.

Every Indian exporter who suffered through those tariffs paid the real price of the tariffs, while this deal sat hidden.

For Reliance shareholders, was this $100 million an investment decision or an insurance payment?

Because the project it funded looks unbuildable, but the policy wins that followed look priceless.

A $100 million cheque to a broken refinery. Billions in tariff relief flowing back. Some trades only make sense once you see who is on the other side of them.

[The ER Doctor @TheERDoctor]

I expect this article to be deleted soon as well...

https://t.co/weHnYPMoJ9

[Josh Kaplan @js_kaplan]

The Texas energy startup — recently rebranded as America First Refining — had been struggling for years.

The unexpected breakthrough came after it forged a previously unreported relationship with Trump Jr., who secretly acquired a stake in the firm. https://t.co/2iwJp53vbB

[Srikant @Srikant_x64]

Virtus owner explains issues with E20 even on e20 compatible car

[Rewa @CopiumState]

A father can go to any length to ensure his son's success, even if it comes at the cost of an entire nation🥺🤧

[RajeIyer @RajeswariAiyer]

⚠️⚠️Missing⚠️⚠️ Person ⚠️⚠️ alert ⚠️ ⚠️

Our group person Usha Mani's father has been missing for the past 1.5 days. He was last seen leaving home around 8:30 AM and mentioned that he was going to the Nanganallur Anjaneyar Temple. Since then, we have been unable to contact or locate him.

He is 81 years old.

If anyone has seen him or has any information about his whereabouts, please kindly contact her at 98844 64574.

His photograph is attached below.

We would greatly appreciate any help in sharing this message. Thank you. 🙏

[Abhimanyu Kulkarni @abhi_kulkarni85]

I largely agree with this view. Consumers are being asked to make purchasing decisions worth lakhs of rupees while fuel policy keeps evolving and long term clarity remains missing.

If the government wants to move aggressively towards higher ethanol blends or even E100 in the future, then it should first ensure that suitable vehicles, infrastructure, fuel pricing and consumer protections are in place. Policy uncertainty should not be borne by vehicle owners.

The automotive media also needs to ask tougher questions instead of simply reporting every announcement and launch event. If journalists genuinely believe consumers are being left confused, then they should use their collective influence to demand clear answers from both the government and manufacturers.

Perhaps it is time for automotive journalists to stop treating launch events as celebrations and start treating them as accountability forums. Before discussing features, variants and colour options, the industry owes consumers clear answers on ethanol compatibility, long term reliability, fuel efficiency, resale value and ownership costs.

People are not buying smartphones that can be replaced after two years. They are investing a significant portion of their savings into vehicles that they expect to keep for a decade or more. They deserve transparency, not uncertainty.

[Nut Boult @NutBoult]

Stop fooling people with “cheap fuel” marketing.

Fuel is not cheap because the litre price is lower. Fuel is cheap only when cost per kilometre is lower.

If petrol/E20 at ₹102.12 gives 40 km/l, the running cost is ₹2.55 per km.

Now E85 is being shown as “₹20 cheaper” at around ₹82.12 per litre. Sounds great, right?

But E85 has much lower energy because ethanol carries less energy than petrol. So if mileage drops from 40 km/l to around 29 to 32 km/l, the so-called cheap fuel becomes equal or even costlier per km.

This is the real scam:
Government shows price per litre.
Public pays cost per kilometre.

And this is not just about mileage. Ethanol absorbs water. Water plus oxygen plus metal means corrosion risk. If ethanol-water separation happens inside storage or fuel systems, the bottom layer can become more corrosive and damaging to tanks, pumps, injectors, lines, seals and older fuel-system parts.

Basic chemistry:

Ethanol oxidation can form acetic acid:
C2H5OH + O2 → CH3COOH + H2O

Acid can attack iron:
Fe + 2CH3COOH → Fe(CH3COO)2 + H2

Rust needs iron, oxygen and water:
4Fe + 3O2 + 6H2O → 4Fe(OH)3

So stop calling it cheap unless you publish the full truth:

1. Blend percentage at every pump
2. Vehicle compatibility clearly displayed
3. Expected mileage loss
4. Cost per km, not just price per litre
5. Long-term impact on older vehicles
6. Warranty clarity in writing

If ethanol is truly better, prove it with transparent cost-per-km data. Don’t make citizens pay the same price for lower energy fuel and then tell them it is a national service.

Cheap per litre is marketing. Cheap per kilometre is reality.

[Hims 🪷 🚴 🌱 🧘 @maveinlux]

Ethanol is common in Europe. Both E95 and E10 are mixed with ethanol, so why the fuss in India? I use them in my cars and they run fine.

Well here is the catch, in EU, max permissible limit for Ethanol blend in the fuel is 10%. Its regulated and every car engine and components are designed accordingly. It can’t go wrong.

In India it’s already at 20%. On top, they are planning to increase it. No one knows if the auto manufacturers have adapted to this change.

It’s a proven fact that ethanol destroys seals and caskets in old cars that are not built for ethanol blended fuel. Ethanol also reduces the mileage by 2-5%.

This is one of the reasons why imported cars, specially made in EU will breakdown in India if people use cheap ethanol blended fuel.

So whoever is making these decisions in India, I hope they know what they are doing and I hope the automakers are adapting accordingly.

@volklub

[ℜ𝔲𝔡𝔯𝔞 @Invincible39]

There is no reason why one should buy a car in india!

You get groceries delivered in 10 minutes, no need of weekly grocery shopping at Dmart.

Can't go outstation/trip with family because of pathetic roads, exorbitant fuel prices and ethanol bullshit has increased milage substantially.

No need to go for movie outings with family, you have unlimited OTT options now!

No need to go out for family dinner since we have zomato/swiggy and all restaurants have increased prices citing Iran war.

Driving in indian senseless traffic and on potholes feels like a big toll on mental health.

what else you need a car for? to satisfy nitin gadkari and his sons by increasing their profit of ethanol? just to pay to insurance and other taxes to govt?

[Congress Kerala @INCKerala]

Rajesh Exports without any experience is eligible for PLI subsidies from Central Govt.

Ola Electric, which sells the most substandard 'firey' Electric Scooters, got 367 Cr in PLI subsidies from Central Govt.

Ather Energy which has built most high quality Electric Scooters in India, is not eligible for PLI scheme.

Every scheme is designed to favour Modi and his chamchas. That's all it is. And you wonder why businesses are not investing in India.

[Dr. Yash Nadkarni @nadkarni_yash]

India is interesting country.

We have petrol pump with E85 petrol - but not a single car which runs on it
We have millions of vehicles running on E5, E10 petrol - but there is not a single petrol pump with these fuels.

[Ghar Ke Kalesh @gharkekalesh]

Bengaluru: Masked men cut through a North based high-end gated villa fence, robbed a sleeping family on June 5 while exploiting a downed perimeter alarm. Full kits, gloves, no traces. Similar hits in upscale areas. FIR filed, Dodballapur Yelahanka

[mas.to / @kingslyj]

@Kaju_Nut A "one-member committee" is going to figure that out.

So there will be no committee meetings/discussions or disagreements/differences in opinions on what should or shouldn't go in the report.

Total consensus on everything.

One Nation. One Opinion.
https://t.co/2V21wjMDYP

[Jyoti @virgojyoti02]

Harsh reality of UPSC exam which no coaching will ever tell you!!!

[Mr Sharma @sharma_views]

THIS 18-YEAR-OLD DID NOT BLINK 🔥

RAJDEEP: CBSE says TCS quoted around ₹951 crore, Coempt Edutech around ₹384 crore. Lowest bidder wins, so rules were followed.

SARTHAK 🎯: My question is not whether CBSE followed the rules. My question is why CBSE changed the rules.

RAJDEEP: People say you are batting for the opposition.

SARTHAK 🔥: In a democracy, opposition parties are pressure groups. If someone supports me, I am thankful. If someone ignores me, I do not care.

[Prasanna Viswanathan @prasannavishy]

DMK seems to have suffered catastrophic electoral consequences for outsourcing core politics to family-owned strategy firms, consultants and power brokers instead of trusting its cadre network as the primary feedback loop.

An emperor-with-no-clothes moment. Surrounded by courtiers, pollsters and narrative managers, DMK first family appears to have inhabited a delusion of grandeur that it was running a government the rest of the world envied😂

These firms may have utility for functions like money laundering for electioneering ( IPAC TMC), routing funds for influencer campaigns, payments to journalist etc but trusting them for political strategy is a recipe for disaster for parties. TMC, DMK and few big ones to follow soon

[Sincere Dibya @TheSincereDude]

Gadkari’s son Nikhil owns Cian Agro Industries (ethanol producer). Son Sarang is director at Manas Agro Industries (ethanol producer).

And Papa wants 100% ethanol blending in YOUR vehicle.

Here’s what they won’t tell you:

🔴 E100 gives 30-35% LESS mileage than petrol. Your ₹600 tank fill? Effectively becomes ₹850 worth of distance. Every. Single. Time.

🔴 Your engine warranty? Most existing cars aren’t built for E100. Corrosion, fuel pump damage, cold-start failures; all on YOUR bill, not the government’s.

🔴 And while your car suffers;
Economic Survey 2026 warned this policy is already pulling farmland away from pulses & oilseeds into maize for ethanol. Food prices spike. Edible oil imports explode.

So let’s be honest about who wins here:

✅ Gadkari family’s ethanol plants - fully loaded with govt contracts

✅ Auto companies forced to sell you a new “flex-fuel” car

❌ You - paying more per km, eating costlier dal, breathing false promises

Petrol was ₹71 in 2014. Every blending target was achieved. Prices only went up.

100% ethanol blending isn’t energy independence.

It’s a family business. And you’re the customer who never got a choice.

[Venkatesh Alla @venkat_fin9]

Here's what NOBODY is saying about flex-fuel vehicles: your ECU adjusts the fuel mix automatically, which means if E85 isn't available and you fill up E20, the engine burns MORE fuel to compensate for the lower energy density. You own an FFV. You still pay the E20 mileage penalty. Every. Single. Day.