Shankar Anand

Opinions are only mine, not my employer's. RTs are not endorsements.

[Sann @san_x_m]

India was right all along. Now even Trump is buying Russian fuel.

In July 2025, he threatened 100% tariffs on any country buying Russian energy.

In August 2025, he put an extra 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil. Our total tariff went to 50%.

India did not stop. We kept buying.

On September 18 this year, he signed a law that allows tariffs up to 100% on countries that buy Russian energy. India and China were the clear targets.

Now he has announced that Putin agreed to send 300,000 tons of diesel right away. 500,000 tons in November. Then one million. Then three million.

His reason? Lower prices for Americans.

That was India's reason too.

We import close to 90% of our crude oil. Hormuz is choked. Russia now gives us more than 40% of our crude. We bought it so a farmer's tractor and a truck driver's diesel did not cost double.

When India did it, we were told we are funding a war.

When America does it, it is called a great deal.

I am not against America buying cheap fuel. Every leader should look after his own people. But next time, don't lecture India on what is good for our people.

[PSK 🦂 @Psk7167]

Elon Musk to Grok

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

@psankar If it is the same team you are meeting, yes. If you work across teams and teams are distributed across west coast and east coast, no choice but to have meetings in mornings and evenings.

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

@psankar Didn't get it. What's one sided? Morning IST means, East coast or Euro folks can't join.

PST and IST is the better combo. We can do some our nights, some their nights. PST, EST and IST or PST, Euro and IST are the bad combos.

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

@psankar I noticed that. That's why the capital IF. IF they have to meet, what's the proposal?

[Sakthi @sakthi_sudhan]

evlo varusham ponalum Indha template saturate aagadhe 😭

[Chase Geiser @realchasegeiser]

Simon was just found dead.

[Jayaprakash Narayan @JP_LOKSATTA]

A very thoughtful piece. China democratized society, decentralised power, delivered rapid economic growth and improved the quality of life of people remarkably since 1978.

In 2005, in a private conversation with Mr Huang Hua, a veteran leader and former foreign minister (1976-82), I jocularly asked him to invite our Communist leaders to China and train them. He laughed and said, " In China Communist Party is not about socialism and ideology; it is about stability and order."

CCP since Deng era has done a remarkable job of gaining legitimacy by performance and outcomes. In some ways China is far more democratic than is realised- 54% of all public expenditure is at the local level by the empowered and effective local governments. They mastered four things many democracies struggle to achieve - unmatched decentralisation, rational decision making, meritocratic leadership and orderly succession (until Xi interrupted it.

Single party authoritarianism certainly curbed the propensity to indulge in short-term populism. And they certainly crush opposition and protest ruthlessly.
But Chinese success is not because of authorisationism; they failed spectacularly when irrational decisions were taken - Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, one-child norm, permit system for urban living etc. They succeeded remarkably when they democratized - decentralisation, quality education and skills, accessible public goods and services etc.

In respect of liberties we all take forgranted and competitive elections China has zero democracy; but in many other respects they have democratized the polity and society.

We in India need to expand the notion of democracy beyond 'vote' and 'shout'. Autocratic political parties, unsuitable electoral system that magnified the importance of marginal vote, vote buying, short term individual welfare at the cost of collective goods and services and long-term prosperity, reliance on primordial royalties to mobilize voters, centralisation at state level, ubiquitous corruption and appalling failure of 'education' are not because of democracy; they are perversions of flawed, incomplete democracy.

If we interpret China's success as a result of authoritarianism, it will be a colossal and tragic blunder. For every Deng there are a hundred Idi Amins. We simply need to learn from past successes and failures, and bring in necessary democratic reforms. We need to broaden the notion of democracy and eliminate the distortions.

Considering everything, we have done moderately well. We strengthened unity against all odds, preserved and to some extent expanded liberty, maintained reasonable order and achieved modest progress. We need to do a lot more. We can fulfil our potential and stand as a testament to success of democracy if we reforms our democracy, not revile or undermine it.

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

When you really care.

[The Adventurous Soul @TAdventurousoul]

Japan’s attention to detail is on another level. 🇯🇵

Even the manhole cover blends so seamlessly with the road, it’s almost impossible to spot.

[Nafees @Nafees_22]

16- Years Old Sachin Tendulkar The iconic onslaught featured Tendulkar hitting legendary leg-spinner Abdul Qadir for 28 runs in a single over (6, 0, 4, 6, 6, 6) after Qadir challenged him.🤯

Sachin Tendulkar smashed an unbeaten 53 runs off just 18 balls against Pakistan in a 20-over exhibition match in Peshawar on December 16, 1989, after the main game was washed out.

[Max 📟 @MaxNordau]

ONE YEAR AGO, Captain Smit Machchhar was asked what's a bigger high: A smooth landing, or an on-time arrival?

His answer: "None. Safe. You don't have to think about on time. They've hired other people to take care of that."

"A positive landing. Safe landing where I'm supposed to land. If it turns out smooth, perfect."

Today, stabbed by his co-pilot, he still got the cockpit door open so passengers could stop the hijacking.

He saved the lives of all 174 passengers, and they had a safe landing.

Thank you, Captain Machchhar.

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

Present, sir!

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

A farmer in Brazil calls each cow by name, and they answer back, one by one

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

@subashr232 @psankar The hindi text is full of spelling mistakes! Almost unreadable.

[MacroMatrix @MacroMatrix1]

This innovation from Pollachi Tamil Nadu deserves some attention.

🥥 From Pollachi’s coconut waste to wound care innovation!

A fascinating Tamil Nadu innovation: discarded mature coconut water is being used as a feedstock to produce bio-cellulose, which forms the basis of CocoHeal, an advanced wound dressing.

🔹 Developed by Ardor Biomed, Pollachi
🔹 Uses coconut-derived monolaurin for antimicrobial properties
🔹 Designed for applications including diabetic ulcers, burns & surgical wounds
🔹 Reported ₹80 lakh government support for the research — not ₹80 crore
🔹 The innovation has received recognition at the national level
🔹 CocoHeal is now commercially available and has medical-device regulatory registrations

From agricultural waste → biomedical innovation → a commercial medical product.

A great example of how local agricultural resources can be turned into high-value technology. 🇮🇳🥥

#Pollachi #Coimbatore #TamilNadu #Coconut #Innovation #Healthcare #MedTech #MakeInIndia #CocoHeal

[Parminder Singh @parrysingh]

Just read about a beautiful Japanese concept:“meiwaku o kakenai”.

It means avoiding inconvenience to others, like not speaking loudly on phone, letting people exit before entering, or leaving a place as you found it.

We need mandatory “meiwaku o kakenai” classes in our schools.

[Himalayan Hindu @himalayanhindu]

There's a REASON why evn Shankh is forbidden in Badrinath Dham. That place has its own sanctity. And nw? DJs are blasting there. Club style music has a time & place. A sacred Teerth is NOT it. This govt's obsession to make every Dham a picnic spot is ruining the soul of Devbhumi.

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

@Fintech03 @VRLK11 1 lakh per month sales. If I buy and sell 50-60 kg of veggies or 80-100 tender coconuts, or 200-250 chai+biscuits on an average every day, I will hit 1 lakh limit easily in a month.

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

@thekaipullai Vyaazha kizhamai... aezhai kizhavan...
vaazhai pazhatthil... vazhukki vizhundhaan...

Repeat this tongue twister 10 times quickly. Adhaan test.

[Shankar Anand @shankaranand]

@TheRestlessQuil She is quite different in Dabba Cartel.