The Perils of Comparison: How Societies Stifle Innovation by Seeking Safety
- Sagar Vishwas
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Why Do We Keep Looking for the "Indian Version" of everything Instead of Creating the Next Big Thing?
Pune is the Oxford of the East. Kashmir is the Switzerland of India. Mumbai will soon be the Shanghai of India.
We love comparisons. We use them as badges of honor. But what if this mindset is holding us back?
China launched DeepSeek, a low-cost, easy-to-operate AI LLM. Immediately, some leaders said, "We will soon have India's own DeepSeek." But why settle for another version when we could be building something even better, something unique?
VinFast, a Vietnamese EV startup, entered the North American market. They are taking on giants like Tesla, Ford, and GM—not playing safe in their home market. Meanwhile, many Indian automotive companies with decades of experience remain content serving only familiar markets instead of stepping onto the global stage.
Why isn't the next global IT product company of Indian origin?
The problem? A society built on imitation, not invention. A culture where kids are compared to other kids instead of encouraged to explore their unique talents. An industry that waits for the next "safe" idea instead of betting on bold innovations.
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” — George Bernard Shaw
The U.S. became a tech powerhouse by betting big on uncertain ideas.
Germany & Japan rebuilt themselves through deep scientific and technological advancement.
Bharat doesn’t need "its own version" of anything. It needs to build something the world has never seen. Like Yoga !
So, let’s stop asking "Who has done this before?" And start asking "What new problems can we solve?"
Because leaders create. Followers imitate.
Would love to hear your thoughts! 👇
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