I shared several quantitative observations about tourism in India, comparing it to Dubai and highlighting the scale of our domestic market.
India gets about 10 million foreign tourists a year.
Dubai gets 18 million foreign tourists a year.
We are 1.4 billion people with the Himalayas, Goa, Rajasthan, Kerala, the Andamans, 5,000 years of history and arguably the best food in the world :).
I also noted a personal branding shift: I’ve been called Nikhil exponentially more often across emails, LinkedIn messages, and tweets.
I now get emails, LinkedIn messages, tweets, etc., addressed to Nikhil every day.
These observations fed into my strategic decisions to focus on cultural export, adopt a “question the default” mindset for functional food ventures, and launch the WTF: Discourse format.
In September 2026 I posted three LinkedIn updates covering AI‑driven social media networking, a cultural‑export strategy for India, and a new dialogue format I call “WTF: Discourse.”
On 2026‑09‑29 at 16:43 UTC I asked my San Francisco network for introductions to anyone building anything around social media in the age of AI.
On 2026‑09‑29 at 06:12 UTC I argued that India should move from exporting products to deliberately exporting its cultural ecosystem – Bollywood, music, food, fashion, yoga and Ayurveda – a "cultural moat" that can attract consumer brands.
On 2026‑09‑20 at 15:37 UTC I quoted F. Scott Fitzgerald: “The test of a first‑rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” and critiqued how the internet rewards louder, angrier voices.
I introduced “WTF: Discourse”, a format where two genuine believers present opposing ideas side‑by‑side, with no winner – the audience decides what to believe.
I decided to adopt the WTF: Discourse method because it forces deep understanding of opposing positions and aligns with my view that true intelligence includes holding contradictory ideas simultaneously. I also committed to championing a strategic cultural export agenda for India, believing consumer brands will follow a strong cultural narrative.
- Networking method: direct outreach to personal contacts for referrals.
For more background on my professional journey see nikhil kamath linkedin profile.
- Cultural export method: identify and promote India’s cultural assets as a unified brand narrative abroad.
- WTF: Discourse steps: 1) select two opposing ideas; 2) find two genuine believers; 3) present both arguments side‑by‑side; 4) let the audience decide.