Canadian influencer in India questions habit of comparing Indian cities to foreign landmarks

A Canadian technology content creator who has lived in India for almost eight years has set off an online debate after criticising the way Indian cities, landscapes and even industries are often described through comparisons with foreign countries.

In a video that has circulated widely on social media, Caleb Friesen said travel vloggers and digital creators frequently frame Indian destinations using Western references such as the “Switzerland of India”, the “Scotland of the East” or “Mini Europe”. He argued that such labels reduce Indian places to imitations rather than recognising them as distinctive in their own right.

"This isn't Japan, it's Bengaluru!"

Every year the pink trumpet trees bloom, and every year influencers compare the city to Japan with its sakura trees.

This is one example of a widespread bad habit: using derivative names/descriptions for Indian cities, landmarks, and people. pic.twitter.com/Pkm7w6XfvA

— Caleb (@caleb_friesen) January 11, 2026

Friesen said the practice suggested that Indian locations need external validation to be seen as attractive or valuable. According to him, this mindset goes beyond tourism and reflects a deeper tendency to rely on foreign benchmarks when talking about India.

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He also pointed to naming conventions in the country’s film industry, where terms like Bollywood, Tollywood and Pollywood are derived from Hollywood. Friesen questioned why India continues to define its creative industries through a US reference, noting that other countries, including South Korea, do not model their film industries’ identities on Hollywood.

Another example he raised was Bengaluru being widely called the “Silicon Valley of India”. Friesen said the label made little sense geographically or conceptually, as the city sits on the Deccan Plateau rather than in a valley. He suggested that Indian technology hubs should be known for what they are, not as versions of an American original. He contrasted this with Chinese tech centres such as Shenzhen, which are recognised globally without being branded as equivalents of Silicon Valley.

The influencer also referred to a recent exchange on X, where a user told Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal that India needed its own version of US entrepreneur Bryan Johnson. Goyal replied that India did not need replicas and should focus on its own strengths, a view Friesen said he shared.

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His remarks have drawn a wide range of responses online, with some users agreeing that India should move away from foreign comparisons, while others defended such labels as marketing shortcuts. The discussion has since broadened into a larger conversation about cultural confidence, global perception and how India presents itself to the world.