Dhruv Patel

Entrepreneur | Chemical Engineer | Alum of NIT-Surat, @USC

[Dhruv Patel @dhruv_dh]

I have applied for a passport of 2 month old baby girl on 5th May, completed my police verification the next day itself, but the application is pending from the office of the police commissioner @CP_SuratCity for the last 8 days. @passportsevamea needs your intervention!

[Amar Govindarajan @amargov]

Every year, India watches 1000s of its engineers pack their bags for Silicon Valley, London, or Toronto. We call it "brain drain" and shrug it off as inevitable.

China had the same problem. Their best minds were scattered across MIT, Stanford, Google. Then in 2008, they decided to do something about it

Enter the "Thousand Talents Plan" - China's audacious bet to reverse the tide. The pitch was simple: "Why struggle on a postdoc salary in Boston when you can lead your own lab in Beijing?"

The numbers were eye-watering. 1 million yuan signing bonus. Research funding of 3-5 million yuan. Free housing. Your kids' education sorted. And here's the kicker - they didn't just want Chinese scientists back.

The Young Thousand Talents program started actively recruiting brilliant minds from India, Korea, Japan - anywhere they could find them. While we were busy celebrating our diaspora's success abroad, China was quietly building its own Silicon Valley.

Fast forward to today: China has pulled back 7,000+ top scientists. They're not just catching up in AI and semiconductors - they're leading.

Meanwhile, Indian parents still dream of their kids getting that coveted H1-B visa.

The brutal truth? Brain drain isn't fate. It's a choice. China chose to fight for talent. What did we choose?

https://t.co/YZdgx8q8Gq

[Navroop Singh @TheNavroopSingh]

Tell me one nuclear power which has attacked so many air bases of another Nuclear Power. One instance of history please !? Anyone !?

[Rahul Raj @x_rahulraj]

Piyush Goyal ji has rightly pointed out that Indian startups are lagging behind in deep tech innovation. I urge him to actively involve startups in solving real, ground-level problems by allocating some of the long-pending and underperforming public infrastructure and civic projects (which are currently handled by traditional contractors) to tech-driven startups. This will not only bring fresh thinking and accountability but also inspire more entrepreneurs to enter the engineering and deep tech space.

Some immediate opportunities that come to mind:

1. Road Construction & Maintenance: Allocate sections of roads that repeatedly develop cracks within 6 months to civil engineering startups that can analyze reasons for failures and solve it.

2. River Cleaning Projects: Involve environmental tech startups in the cleaning and preservation of rivers like Ganga and Yamuna using modern filtration, sensor networks, and real-time monitoring technologies.

3. Sewer & Waste Management: Assign urban sewer cleaning and garbage management to automation and robotics startups that can improve safety, efficiency, and scalability.

4. Traffic Rule Enforcement: Engage startups in building and managing smart city solutions for detecting traffic violations, issuing e-challans, and tracking compliance.

5. Public Infrastructure Monitoring: Allow startups to build systems for real-time monitoring of public infrastructure, such as bridges, flyovers, and water pipelines to prevent failures and reduce maintenance delays.

6. Railway Safety and Monitoring: Collaborate with startups working on sensors, AI, and automation to improve railway track inspection, accident prevention, and crowd control.

By opening up these essential domains to innovation, we can create a new wave of deep tech entrepreneurship in India that addresses real problems and creates massive impact.

[Aravind @aravind]

When BYD announced its super fast charging tech and battery, it was news all around the world last two days. With major mainstream media channels and sites to multiple social media accounts posting about it.

Here we have an Indian EV energy company that's demonstrating similar cool fast charging with mega watt capablity. But the PR is lacking from our media and SM. Looks like the company themselves woke up after BYD news was hyped.

"hey, what are you guys aweing about BYD, we too have this thing that's similar" is the vibe I'm getting.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not at all blaming them. And, of course, they have some catching up to do with BYD. But my point is we in India seem to lack the ability to do PR and marketing in an orchestrated way. The ecosystem seems lacking.

This is a space where both Indian startups and GoI can work together. If any startup needs some PR and marketing help in India, there must be a go to agency both privately and in govt to hand over the news and material.

Then the ecosystem must get to work. From big media houses, to foreign mainstream media, to influencers around the world must talk about it and get the word out. This is exactly what China is doing.

Do you think BYD itself has such great PR that it made its new tech talked about around the world reaching billions making them awe? Nope. It was a state agency behind it. For the US, it has always been the deep state.

India needs its all encompassing propaganda agency with a deep network around the world. Our private sector must get together with GOI to make this happen.

[Hardik Rajgor @Hardism]

Indian Cities are Broken

When people leave their house, the first thing they come across is garbage on the streets while walking to a bus stop or a train/metro station. Many areas become unofficial dumping grounds with flies/insects all around.

The second thing they come across is vehicles parked on both sides of the road (which says "no parking"), leading to congestion for both vehicles and walkers in the middle. Horns, commotion, anger, arguments.

The third thing they come across are the internal roads leading to their homes and offices, poorly constructed and filled with potholes. Scooters are struggling, car are trying to navigate, everyone is slowed down.

The fourth thing he interacts with is public transport. Trains are overcrowded, people are hanging out of the doors in trains and buses. Too many people simply travel without tickets. He can't afford cabs everyday.

Does that mean nothing is happening around him? Of course not. Highways, airports, metros, ports, tunnels - many magnificent things have been built, and are being built. India is building at scale.

But the average person will not come across these places everyday. Probably once in a quarter. When he goes on a vacation, or has to travel out of town for work, or he just gets lucky that a metro is close to his house.

But he goes past his small road everyday. He crosses the dirt everyday. He sees the potholes everyday. He sees the hanging wires everyday. He sees stray dogs everyday. He sees people hanging from trains everyday. He sees fights on the road everyday. Nothing in his vicinity seems to ever be fixed, or improving.

The anger of that person translates to the question - where is my tax money going? What am I getting in return for it? In the everyday tangible things of my life that I can see, touch and feel.

The air is polluted, the area is dirty, the road is unsafe and public transport is a mess.

People are moving to cities in large numbers on a daily basis, and India's cities are broken. Civic governance needs a hard reset - people's lives have to improve in the everyday scheme of things, that's what they live and breathe.

[Manu🇮🇳🇮🇳 @mshahi0024]

🚨🚨Welcome to Mumbai-GOA Expressway.

-"If you want good roads, You need to pay Toll" ==>Legend Nitin Gadkari.

https://t.co/6TzeBdLeP6

[Dhruv Patel @dhruv_dh]

Applied for passport for my son ( 1 year old) ( FILE NO: SU1068965819023 ) on 12th June, and current status is under review at regional office. I have heard people are getting passport in 48 hours. @rposurat can you check why it is getting delayed? @passportsevamea @MEAIndia

[Sabloktantra @SabLokTantra]

Ayodhya | राम मंदिर | Amethi | Uttar Pradesh | जनता जनार्दन
#Electionsresults

[Narendra Modi @narendramodi]

Never ever forget. And never ever forgive Congress.

For decades they looted people’s money, weakened India’s security and mocked our culture. NO LONGER!

[Ajeet Bharti @ajeetbharti]

ध्रुव राठी: फ़र्ज़ी ग्राफ़्स, अर्धसत्य, प्रपंच और फैनडम का कॉकटेल
YT लिंक: https://t.co/HUvYUBPpmQ

अध्याय: 00:00 प्रोमो, 02:54 भूमिका और रोस्ट, 07:59 मूर्ख बनाने की राठी तकनीक, 11:49 राठी के झूठ: राष्ट्रीय क़र्ज़, 16:27 बीफ निर्यात, 19:06 इलेक्टोरल बॉण्ड, 21:30 2024 लोकतंत्र और तानाशाही, 22:37 गठबंधन सरकार अच्छी है, 26:53 स्टैच्यू ऑफ़ यूनिटी, 28:01 केरल मॉडल और कोविड, 30:13 राम मंदिर, 30:57 इसका प्रपंच सफल क्यों नहीं होता?

#dhruvrathee #elections2024 #ajeetbhartiroast

[Sonam Wangchuk @Wangchuk66]

21st Day OF MY #CLIMATEFAST
350 people slept in - 10 °C. 5000 people in the day here.
But still not a word from the government.
We need statesmen of integrity, farsightedness & wisdom in this country & not just shortsighted characterless politicians. And I very much hope that @narendramodi ji & @AmitShah ji will soon prove that they are statesmen...
#SaveLadakh #SupportSonamWangchuk #SaveHimalayas #SaveGlaciers #6thSchedule @

[Shiv Aroor @ShivAroor]

It’s the 20th day of Sonam @Wangchuk66’s fast unto death in Ladakh. The Govt MUST have a conversation. Cannot simply ignore this.

[Congress @INCIndia]

ठेके - दारू ----> AAP

[Mr Sinha @Mrsinha]

Another super take on “dictatorship debate”.

Brilliant @AKTKbasics 👏🏻

[Ajeet Bharti @ajeetbharti]

हमें तो ऐसे डिक्टेटर ही चाहिए!

#modi #Dictatorship #DhruvRathee

[Vaibhav Singh @vaibhavUP65]

This man serving Water to Guests at Pran Pratishtha Karyakram at Ram Mandir is my dear friend Vivek Pandey. He used to be a Assistant Professor who left his Job to be a Full time Volunteer at Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He’s also Specially Abled & works in Jhuggi-Jhopdi of Delhi. Earlier he worked in the Tribal regions of North Eastern India.
You can dream of beating VHP & RSS all you want. You can write 2000 words articles in Newspapers against them. You can travel Business Class or First Class to United States & give lectures against them. You can shout your lungs out to spread fake Propaganda against them but you’ll never be able to beat them because they serve the society on the ground. They work amongst poorest of the poor from North East to Jhuggis of Urban pockets in the North.
They may not be Vocal, but they are Effective. They may not shout about their welfare initiatives, but they touch the lives of those who need it. They may not be on social media but they are their amongst the most neglected ones. They may not complain about credit, but they are there just to Serve. They just don’t care about anything else except their Goal of Creating a Better Society.

[Rahul Raj @x_rahulraj]

I was in China for the last 10 days. I went intending to meet cell manufacturers, machine makers, automation companies, and visit good factories. I went there after 4 years, so expected a lot of upgrades after my last visit. The trip did not disappoint me. Sharing some of those:

[The Madhya Pradesh Index @mp_index]

Gems of Indian Babus 🤡 (Part -3)

📍Vizag International Cruise Terminal

[Sanjeev @geniusparadox]

You might have your differences with Modi ji, but I feel this was a great gesture by him. I will tell you why- it puts Tejas on the map in the minds of millions of young boys and girls across the country.

I am an aeronautics engineer. Growing up it was my only dream to be an aircraft designer and build a company like HAL to make fighter jets. I have always been a nationalistic patriot and yearned to have a robust indigenous aircraft program. I used to dream of having our own bombers and F-16s and Sukhois designed and made in India and for India.

I even worked diligently on this dream- went abroad and got myself a in Aeronautics degree with a major in aircraft design. I came back in 2009 and even started a company. Became a vendor to HAL to start small and grow organically. Thats when reality hit me. People there were lax, corrupt and there was absolutely no direction to anything. LCA was in the works for decades with no sight of a production plan nor an order even from IAF. Our plan for an indigenous engine was a monumental disaster. I have seen engineers sit idle all day or have a full-time part time gigs in private sector because there was just no work to do at HAL nor were there any askers-tellers. I realised we are atleast 50 years away from being serious about this and that I should not waste my life on it. My dream ended.

But a wind of change started in late 2014 and I credit Shri Manohar Parikkar for it. Man was solid gold. He brought in direction and accountability into the organisation. The engineers who were previously always available for part-time gigs were now “no sir, we are very busy. We have deadlines to meet” and I was the happiest about it! LCA/ Tejas picked up pace and there were now production plans with actual orders. HAL which was always in slumber even built a *new plant* for helicopters and that too in record time! India finally had a fighter aircraft program which was alive and kicking!!

I know all this because l closely follow the space. Its my passion. And it will become the passion of many young kids when its talked about loudly. And I think Modi ji’s sorties today will play its part towards it! It will definitely spark the enthusiasm of a few young minds who will take a peek into the world of aerospace and some might start dreaming like I did. They might start dreaming to make India a great aerospace power like I did 25 years ago! And hopefully for them it might even come true! I pray it should and I pray I am alive on that day to see it happen! ♥️ Thanks Modi ji! 🙏