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A 25-year-old IIT-Mumbai graduate earning nearly $500,000 (approximately Rs 4.39 crore) a year in Silicon Valley created an unexpected and embarrassing scene on a flight from San Francisco to Delhi. He apparently overindulged in alcohol and later ended up wetting his pants. Gaurav Kheterpal, founder and CEO of Vanshiv Technologies, shared the incident on X (formerly Twitter), which took place on October 18. The man was travelling to India for Diwali. “On my SFO-Delhi flight today, the passenger next to me was a 25-year-old Indian, IIT-Mumbai, earning almost $500K in an AI startup in Bay Area, heading home for Diwali,” he wrote. The Drinking Incident On Board According to Kheterpal, the passenger “gulped down 11 beers” during the 16-hour flight. When the flight attendant refused to give him more than three beers, he requested Kheterpal and his team (who were three people) to take their beers and hand them over. “He then passed out after a few hours of drinking & unsurprisingly, wetted his pants. We had to move to different seats for some time due to the smell! Needless to say, he did not even make eye contact after that,” he continued. The founder expressed astonishment at how someone “earning nearly Rs 4 crore every year, living the American dream in Silicon Valley” could not control his urge for a few free beers on a flight. “When will Indians stop embarrassing ourselves in front of the whole world, especially as poor travellers,” Kheterpal concluded. See The Post Here On my SFO-Delhi flight today, the passenger next to me was a 25-year old Indian, IIT-Mumbai, earning almost $500K in an AI startup in Bay Area, heading home for Diwali. During the 16h flight, he gulped down 11 beers. When the flight attendant refused to give him more than 3… — Gaurav Kheterpal (@gauravkheterpal) October 18, 2025 Social Media Question The Founder’s Role The post drew immediate reactions online, with many questioning why Kheterpal and his team handed over their beers. One user commented, “And why did you and your team give him those additional beers? I am not condoning his behavior.. (That was pathetic and he should be ashamed of himself) But you need to look within yourself as well… You guys helped make it worse.” Another wrote, “You & your team are to blame. Why did give him any more when you knew, unsurprisingly, what would happen? And btw … it happens all over the world. So stop with the embarrassing Indians BS.” “You broke the protocol. The flight attendant must have sensed something, so she refused to give him extra beer. We need not be emotional in every demand!” someone else pointed out. Several users questioned the authenticity of the story. “I don’t believe this story. And you are a bad liar,” said a person, while an individual commented, “This is a completely made-up story to farm engagement.” The Peeing Gate Incident Involving a Mumbai Businessman Unruly behaviour on flights is not new. In 2023, a Mumbai-based businessman, Shekhar Mishra, was booked by the police for exposing himself and urinating on a co-passenger during a flight from New York to Delhi on November 26, 2022. The victim, a woman in her 70s seated in business class, was targeted when the lights were dimmed after meal service. A probe into the matter was initiated only after the woman sent a letter to N Chandrasekaran, chairman of the Tata Group, which had acquired Air India in January 2022. Mishra was banned from flying with Air India for 30 days, the maximum permitted and the incident was reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further action.
