unexported = racism (?)

For the past couple months, I've seen an influx of racism against Indians from all across the world on social media. Why are we being targeted all of a sudden? Why is one of the world's most affluent and well-off communities facing such intense discrimination? We can always blame the perpetrators, and yes, they are to be blamed, because racism should never be the route to take, but at the same time, it's our fault too, as Indians. That's a big statement to make, but the reason I say this is because of a thought I had recently. At first, racism began with the African community. For years it went on, but finally, they gained immense media traction through their talents. In today's date, if I asked people to think of 5 musical artists, at least 2 of them would be of African descent; that's because they've really established themselves in the industry. When I think of basketball players, I can only think of players of African descent, because they've made it a point to dominate such a largely viewed form of entertainment. In simple words, familiarity is the death of racism. Then, the Latin community was targeted for years and still continues to be, but it has reduced significantly. Why? Because art forms like reggaeton and Latin pop (Bad Bunny, Shakira, and Karol G) have taken the world by storm. Football is literally their forte (Lionel Messi and Neymar); they've dominated. Next, the East Asian countries have been subject to racist comments through the years, but they've ensured they aren't pulled down. Neither socially nor economically. China is basically the world's factory; their supply chains run so deep; their economy is enough to deflect racism. Korea has at least as much social traction. K-Pop has become a global phenomenon. Although their music and TV shows are in their language, they have admirers from all across the world to the point where it's turned into a sort of devotion. And, don't even get me started on anime; they've basically got the whole world hooked through which they export their culture. Once again, they elevate themselves by building a vast media empire. The only community that remains is South Asia, and more specifically, India.

And this is where things become uncomfortable. Because India hasn’t failed in talent, scale, or culture. We’ve failed in how we present it to the world.

Take Bollywood, for example. It’s one of the largest film industries globally, producing hundreds of films every year, filled with music, color, emotion, and storytelling. On paper, it should have been our most powerful soft power weapon. But in reality, it remained largely inward-facing. It was made for Indians, consumed by Indians, and rarely translated or positioned for a global audience in a consistent, strategic way. Also, we are already starting to see Indian elements being repackaged, diluted, and reintroduced through Western lenses. Traditional practices, fashion, food, even spirituality are being aestheticized, simplified, and sometimes stripped of context, then presented back to the world as trends. And what is uncomfortable is that these versions gain more global acceptance than the originals ever did.

Part of this transformation comes from delay. Part of it comes from hesitation. And part of it comes from the fact that, for a long time, we were not fully confident in owning and presenting our culture at a global level. What we treated as ordinary, or even outdated, is now being rediscovered and reframed elsewhere, and we're left defenseless.

India remained local while the world introduced Korean dramas, Latin music, and American cinema.

And when you don’t export your narrative, the world builds one for you. That’s where the problem begins. Because what does get exported from India isn’t always curated. Random viral clips. Out-of-context street videos. Exaggerated stereotypes. Fragments, not the full picture. And algorithms do not care about accuracy; they care about engagement.

We stayed complex, layered, and diverse, which is beautiful internally but confusing externally. And in the absence of clarity, people default to stereotypes.

So when I say “it’s our fault,” I do not mean we deserve racism.

I mean we have been passive in shaping how we are seen.

We did not lack culture. We did not lack talent. We did not lack scale. We lacked projection.

In a world where media shapes reality, remaining local while the rest of the world expands globally carries a significant cost.

So the real loss is not just that we are misunderstood. It is that we are being understood incorrectly, on a global scale. This damages everything our country has worked so hard to pursue.