‘When I see desis…’: Hotmail CEO Sabeer Bhatia reacts to Indians doing garba on Vietnam airport tarmac
Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia reacted to the viral video showing a group of Indian tourists performing ‘Garba’ on an airport tarmac in Vietnam. He said culture is more about behaviour than public display.The viral video circulating across Instagram, Reddit, X and other social media platforms, shows several Indian travellers dancing in a circle near a parked VietJet Air aircraft. The Garba performance appeared to take place either shortly before boarding or after passengers had disembarked. Some social media users described the moment as a joyful celebration of Indian culture abroad, but others criticised the group for dancing in a restricted airport operational area.Reacting to the clip, Bhatia posted on X: “When I see a bunch of desis doing garba on an airport tarmac, I’m reminded that culture is not just what you perform-it’s how you behave. Culture is best expressed through etiquette, consideration for others, respect for shared spaces and civic sense. The dance is visible. The values behind it are what truly matter.”One user replied to Bhatia and said: “Garba is cultural heritage of India which goes viral to all parts of the World”Bhatia also fired back and said: “Randomly…..in a shared space….meant for travel. You need to upgrade your thinking….”Airport tarmacs are considered sensitive operational zones where passenger movement is usually tightly controlled because of safety and security protocols. In the viral clip, some passengers can be seen stopping to watch the dance while others continue walking through the area beside the aircraft.Many online users argued that performing Garba near an aircraft was inappropriate and reflected poorly on Indian tourists abroad. Several people said such incidents contribute to negative stereotypes about Indians travelling overseas. Others defended the group, saying the dance was harmless and represented a cheerful celebration of Indian culture in another country.Sabeer Bhatia is an Indian-American entrepreneur best known for co-founding Hotmail in 1996, one of the world’s first free web-based email services. In recent years, he has also co-founded ShowReel, a platform that later evolved into an AI-based entrepreneurship course.
