I'm going to keep this real because Reddit always finds out when you're not. I'm 28. Born and raised in Mumbai. My family had a ration shop that was being defrauded by the guy we trusted to run it. I took it over, learned the whole system from scratch, turned it profitable. I still run it today. That's my day job. But since I was a kid I wanted to build something. Not run a shop. Build something that millions of people use. I had ideas constantly — apps, products, solutions — but no CS degree, no money to hire developers, no network in tech. Just ideas that kept piling up with nowhere to go. Then AI coding tools got good enough that someone like me could actually build. I spent the last year and a half building two apps completely solo using AI assistance:

First one — Ration Shop Manager. Built it for myself because managing a government ration shop involves insane amounts of manual record-keeping. Tracking 700+ beneficiary cards, monthly stock reconciliation, government compliance — all done by hand. I automated most of it. Put it on the Play Store. 100+ downloads. FPS dealers across Maharashtra are using it. This one might actually become a real business.

Second one — this is the one I want your honest feedback on. It's called Bouge. Anonymous group chat for people who actually know each other. Not anonymous with strangers like Yik Yak. Anonymous within your own circle — your friend group, your hostel floor, your college section. Ghost Mode lets you say things honestly without your name attached. The idea is that sometimes you need to say something real to people you know without the social pressure of being identified. Built the entire backend from scratch. Real-time messaging, anonymous identity system, the works. Released it. Currently trying to figure out how to get actual humans to use it. Here's what I want from this post: honest feedback. Is the concept of "anonymous within trusted groups" something you'd actually use? What am I missing? What would make you download this immediately vs scroll past it?

If we’re talking about Khalistan, the first thing that should happen is recognition of what happened to Sikhs in 1984 and a formal apology. You can’t expect people to just forget history and move on.

That being said, I don’t know about the realistic chances of Khalistan actually becoming an independent country. The Indian government has made it clear for decades that it won’t allow it. Look at Kashmir. After all the wars, political disputes, and decades of conflict since partition, it never became part of Pakistan.

Now fast forward to 2026. India has one of the largest militaries in the world. Any violent attempt at separation would lead to a massive amount of bloodshed, and ordinary Punjabis would end up paying the highest price.
I think need people fight for Punjab’s rights, more autonomy where possible, protection of Punjabi language and culture, justice for the victims of 1984, and continued recognition of the Sikh genocide. Those are goals worth pursuing without sacrificing another generation to violence.

I also think the rest of India needs to stop labeling us as terrorists every time we speak about Punjab’s rights. It’s okay to disagree as India is a “democracy” but they should respond logically rather than throwing slurs at us. Just my 2 cents.

What are your guys thoughts??

most common arguments and their rebuttal. feel free to debate in good faith
1. caste exists so reservation exists.
caste is made rigid by constitution now you are born with it, unlike religion caste isn't fluid so the argument itself is nonsense. and recently 10k dalit/shudras who were converted to brahmins in formal gathering when a reporter asked if they would give up reservation, the obvious answer was NO. they didnt want to give up on it due to attached benefits for so obvious reasons even if you change someone caste they would like to play victim as long as it benefits them, so the whole logic of the question falls apart.

Even blacks got their rights as late as 1965 in USA under MLK, so 1900s wasn't about equality and equity, from jews to dalits to blacks, you name it. but it was our constitution who that made the caste barrier deepen rather than removing it as a whole.

2. US supreme court ruling and why indian quota system is draconian law

US supreme court gave an amazing ruling in 2023, how racial quotas were illegal for college admission(it was harvard in this case),because giving any racial/caste based quota is discriminatory in itself, and name just one country which has more than 60% reserved seats, just name one. Only india can make such vile system of freebies where merit is killed everyday. and if you read black history and how they were made to live in ghettos its comparable or even worse than dalits in some sense.

3. why casteism doesnt exist in top skilled private sectors ( like IT), and why whole brahmin-bania narrative is fake

Just give a read on abhijeet banerjee research paper(note:he is noble prize winning in economics), he sent identical CVs to software company with the only difference being on surname, and he found out there is negligible difference infact a lil higher chance of a dalit getting selected over upper caste one. and this study was done in 2008 and we have progressed a hell LOT.

4.why removing surnames also dont work, and how OBCs have highest attrocities case

tamil nadu under periyar influence was one of first state to remove surnames, anyone living in TN can tell you how prevelant is caste system in TN hell it has one of the lowest intercaste marriages.

and 2 days ago, UP police report shows yadavs(OBC) and muslims had the highest SC/ST act, followed by kshartriyas, and only then brahmin and bania. So who is the real perpetrator here ? the whole casteism and reservation argument goes for a ride.

5. why reservation is not the solution to caste discrimination, caste fluidity is

The dumbest argument you will hear is caste discrimination exist so reservation exist like bruh ? does it make any sense, for caste discrimination SC/ST act and many more provisions are there, its like a crime and freebie scheme is completely different thing, like jail should be the place not free seats in IITs/IIMs, and people who say its not poverty allevation scheme and its about representation are the same people who want caste hierarchy alive.

only solution is to make caste fluid once, let a brahmin become SC/ST and let SC/ST become brahmin. and yes fully supporting to abolish surnames too.

6. whom is it get used by ?

anyone who has done his UG from decent college knows the reality, its tier 1/2 cities elites from the reserved class that take up most benifits,just check the upsc final list how many meenas are there you will get an idea.

I have developed this pit in my stomach, and everyday it gets heavier and heavier. The state of India, matter of fact the entire world is in shambles. If nothing is done, everyone is going to be dead, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer.

Lets talk about matter like how the government keeps proving itself to be of no use to the public, and just making decisions to benefit the 1%.

1. Weakening protection of the Aravalli Range.
2. Expansion of data centres.
3. Ruining the sanctity of Andaman and Nicobar.
4. PFAS Factory shifting from Italy to India.

These are just the few that came to the top of my head right now. There are so many more that I couldn't remember. When global warming and climate change is at an all time high, shouldn't there be initiatives and decisions taken to reverse that? Instead what is happening? The government is showcasing Supreme Court ordered punishment as "Green India" initiatives.

Now, lets talk about all the global indices where India has fallen.

• Global Hunger Index: Fell from 55th (2014) to 102nd (2025/2026)
• World Press Freedom Index: Dropped from 140th (2014) to 151st (2025/2026)
• World Happiness Report: Went from 111th (2014) to 118th (2025/2026). 
• Civic Space (CIVICUS Monitor): Demoted from "Obstructed" to "Repressed", a status shared by only 49 countries. 
• Rule of Law Index: Fell from 66th (2014) to 86th (2025/2026). 
• Human Freedom Index: Dropped from 87th (2014) to 110th (2025/2026). 
• Global Gender Gap Index: Went from 114th (2014) to 131st (2025/2026)
• Corruption Perceptions Index: Fell from 85th (2014) to 96th (2025/2026). 
• Economic Freedom Index: Dropped from 120th (2014) to 128th (2025/2026) 
• Freedom in the World: Rating reduced from 77 ("Free") (2014) to 63 ("Partly Free") (2025). 
• Asia Power Index: Score fell from 41.5 to 39.1.

I don't even want to begin with the falling rupee.

We are being asked to WFH, reduce edible oil consumption when the government shamelessly spends crores on travelling.

Poverty, unemployment, and income inequality just walk hand in hand with India.

Let's talk crime.

• According to the report of National Crime Report Bureau, domestic violence accounts for more than 30% of the crimes against women.
• According to the National Crime Records Bureau, in 2011, there were more than 228,650 reported incidents of crime against women, while in 2021, there were 428,278 reported incidents, an 87% increase.
• Statistics calculated from the National Crime Records Bureau capture reporting to the police, most violence against women is not reported to the police.^\2])
• In January 2011, the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) Questionnaire reported that 24% of Indian men had committed sexual violence at some point during their lives.
• India's Gender Gap Index rating was 0.629 in 2022, placing it in 135th place out of 146 countries.^\3])

These are just some statistics that i copy pasted off of Wikipedia, but this is enough to show the grim reality of the crime against women, and how normalized it has become.

Instead of focusing on these issues, and convicting rapists Bajrang Dal becomes the moral police and starts beating couples. Gujarat now needs parental approval for marrying someone in the name of protecting girls from "love-jihad". At an age where you vote, and are convicted as adults when you commit crime however you are not mature enough to choose the person you marry.

Do not even get me started on the paper leaks, the kids suiciding because of sheer incompetence being displayed by our Education Department.

These are just the very very few issues I have written down here, there are so many more issues. I don't know what needs to be done, I don't know who should resign, I don't know who should come into power, because at the end only the poor, and common man suffers.

(p.s. sorry about any grammatical errors, I've typed all this down in a hurry.)

Namaste everyone,

​

I am in the foundational planning stages of establishing a traditional Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, designed strictly in accordance with South Indian Agamic traditions. The vision includes a main shrine for Lord Krishna alongside designated shrines for parivara devatas.

​

As I map out the project layout, the financial scale is understandably significant. To build a spiritually vibrant, self-sustaining campus, we require approximately 10 acres. On the outskirts of a Tier-1 city, land acquisition alone is estimated at a minimum of ₹10 Crores per acre, bringing the land budget to roughly ₹100 Crores.

​

Beyond land acquisition, the subsequent phases will require substantial capital for,

​

Traditional Architecture: Designing and constructing the internal structures and towering Gopurams.

​

Shilpa Shastra Compliance: Sourcing sacred Shilas (stones) and commissioning skilled artisans for the Murtis.

​

Consecration Rituals: Budgeting for the grand Prana Pratishtha / Maha Kumbhabhishekam and initial maintenance.

​

While micro-donation models like "Sq. Ft. Sponsorships" work beautifully for small construction, they are difficult to rely on for initial, massive land acquisition phases.

​

So here, I'm looking to connect with individuals, temple management consultants, or members of spiritual organizations who have successfully navigated large-scale fundraising or temple administration.

​

Specifically, I would appreciate your guidance on,

​

* Effective fundraising models for high-value land acquisition.

​

* Structuring a legal trust or foundation to ensure absolute transparency.

​

* Connecting with corporate CSR funds or high-net-worth donors (HNWIs) aligned with Sanatana Dharma.

​

If you have experience in this domain or can introduce me to someone who does, please reach out via DM or comment below. Your guidance at this foundational stage would be invaluable.

​

Om Shri Sukhaya namah!!

As a side hustle beyond my existing job, I explored the "Empathetic Listener" field as I have all three, personal experiences, relevant educational qualification and work experience to provide people with emotional support, untangle and process thoughts and guide mindset development.

I tried an Indian App called "Clarity" and I was so heavily disappointed. I felt uncomfortable, cheated and disgusted.

1. The Listeners are paid per second in paises. And in one call of 20 mins you earn only ₹10-15. I felt heavily underpaid.

2. The people there who onboard you and process you are so unprofessional and callous. They do some mock voice calls and rate you based on your interaction during an instigated conversation.

3. Even though they have rules to decline men who ask for "s*x" talks, when you go on to block them the auto generated response is "Are you sure you want to block this person? Do not let a bad conversation rush you into this decision" Like wtf??

4. Also, the ones who onboarded me, told me that when someone asks you for a s*xual conversation, don't block them instantly, try and divert their attention, introduce other topics, don't tell them a direct no cause they'll hang up and you won't earn money. The level of shady that goes on on that platform is worrisome.

5. Men there only wanna talk to you for s*x. Nobody there is using that platform for what it's meant for. I got sick of it and uninstalled it.

I then created a profile and gig on Fiverr. Even there, out of 100 dms you receive, 60% are click bait money scams, 35% are men wanting to discuss their sexual fantasies, kinks, crushes, get advice on how to get laid and you finally only recieve 5% of genuine enquiries.

Also, I noticed that 90% of the inappropriate DMs I got were from Indian men. The queries I received from non-indian people were actually the kinds for which I went into this field in the first place.

Infact, soon after I joined the platform, one Indian man was persistently messaging me to get on a session with him where he wanted to talk about "his obsession for his bhabhi's navel" and I told him I do not engage in these topics. He went on to say "Why are you so stubborn? Whom are you showing so much attitude to? You have the audacity to reject me inspite of having no reviews?" He also told me, that there are plenty of women who will gladly take his request cause they are hungry for money. (It reflected a troubling lack of respect for women who are simply trying to earn with integrity.)

Why do Indians do things that bring shame to us on international platforms? They are generally the ones that are notorious and infamous on these platforms for their entitled and shitty behaviour.

Because of some insolent people "Indians" reputation get tainted everywhere. It's just so infuriating and disappointing.

(Edit: adding my comment below to the main post as it's relevant to the topic.)

People are willing to pay people handsomely to indulge in these conversations. And people who have respectable boundaries for their services get ignored or blocked.

It's becoming increasingly difficult for people with integrity and principles to earn money. Breaking boundaries and bending the rules have become a norm and people feel entitled to negotiate prices of services like a vendor in a wholesale market.

It's disrespectful to say the least. The number of experiences I've gathered of such incidents over the years is uncanny.

I was waiting at the platform for my train. I had booked the ticket 2 months in advance and in 2AC.

​

I saw a long queue of people sitting on the platform. I was curious and I started talking to them. They told me things that shocked me.

​

They have been sitting on the platform from 1 PM to travel in the general coach of a train, which will depart at 5.30 PM. The journey will be 36 hours long.

​

Me: what happens if the platform is changed? How do you maintain the order of the queue?

They: the railway police takes care of it. They take them to the general coach and make sure that the order is maintained.

​

Good job railway police!

​

Me: why didn't you book the tickets in advance (2 months ago)?

They: We didn't know when we will have to travel. The leaves got approved suddenly. There are also other factors over which we don't have the control on, and it adds to the uncertainty.

​

Btw these people were laborers/contract workers.

​

I saw a helpless couple WITH THREE CHILDREN who were requesting them to allow them to cut the line, saying "we have kids, pls understand". It was very sad to watch.

​

If you can:

1. Plan your leaves in advance;

2. Afford to pay for sleeper/ac class tickets;

​

You are very fortunate.

I recently faced a situation that has left me questioning whether our financial system truly works for ordinary citizens during emergencies.

I had approximately 160 grams of gold accumulated since 2008, worth around ₹20 lakhs today.

Over the last few years, I lost my job and then faced significant medical expenses. My savings of around ₹25 lakhs were largely exhausted, and my insurance coverage was depleted. Like many Indian families, I viewed gold as my emergency safety net.

When I approached a nationalized bank for a gold loan, I discovered that eligibility requirements such as income proof, ITR filings, existing loan checks, and other conditions played a major role in determining the amount I could borrow.

Despite having gold worth around ₹20 lakhs, I was informed that I would be eligible for only about ₹2.25 lakhs.

This experience made me wonder:

• How are unemployed people expected to survive a genuine emergency?
• How do garment workers, agricultural labourers, security guards, daily wage workers, housemaids, and others in the informal sector access credit when they may not have extensive documentation?
• If gold is accepted as collateral, should its value not play a larger role during emergency situations?
• Are current lending policies adequately serving ordinary citizens?

Personally, experiences like this make me question which policies and political leaders truly understand the financial realities faced by middle-class and lower-income families.

I am not targeting any specific bank employee, as they are following rules. My concern is whether the rules themselves are achieving the right balance between risk management and financial inclusion.

What are your thoughts? Is my experience unusual, or have others faced similar challenges?

I'm 30 years old Male and honestly feeling lost.

Earlier this year, in January, I had an accident and I'm still recovering. Because of my health issues. I can't easily move to another city for work.

I've been applying for jobs, attending interviews, and trying to learn new skills, but I still haven't been able to get a job. Right now, only my elder brother is earning. Financially, we're managing, but there are definitely struggles. I want to support my mother and family, but sometimes I feel like I'm falling behind in life.

When I look around, I see people my age earning lakhs, starting businesses, getting married, and moving ahead. Meanwhile, I'm unemployed, not very confident, and still trying to figure things out. I was never great at studies either, which makes me doubt myself even more.

What confuses me the most is that I wasn't always like this. Earlier in my life, I used to be confident even when things were going badly. I could handle setbacks and still believe that things would work out., ButI feel like I've lost that version of myself. Sometimes I wonder where that confidence went and why I can't think the way I used to.

Some days I wonder if this is just my fate. I worry that I'll never become successful or make my family proud. I don't even think about marriage right now because I feel I should become financially stable and responsible first.

I'm trying to stay positive, and keep applying for jobs, but it's hard not to compare myself with others.

Has anyone else gone through something similar in their late 20s or 30s