SINGAPORE: An Indian company has publicised what it calls “racism against Indians,” accusing a number of countries, including Singapore, of harbouring xenophobic sentiments against Indians.
The company, Nybula (pronounced “nebula”), positions itself as an “Indian technology company” and as a digital marketplace connecting individuals with work and study opportunities abroad. Nbyula says it aims to “enable and empower ‘Skillizens without Borders’“ and offers packages to prospective clients who wish to be mentored on the process of applying to jobs and academic programs around the globe.
Last month, Nybula published a controversial post on Instagram, decrying a petition that was signed by 40,000 Taiwanese people who want to keep Indians out of their country.
As Nybula characterised it, “Taiwan has a labour crisis. Their population is ageing fast, and birth rates have collapsed, leaving factories without enough workers to function. So in February 2024, Taiwan signed a deal with India to bring in just 1,000 Indian workers. A pilot programme to test the deal before scaling.
“Then, in April 2026, 40,000+ Taiwanese signed a petition demanding the government cancel the deal. The petition cited fears of sexual violence by Indian men, using selected Indian crime statistics to fearmonger.”
The company said, “Taiwan literally needs us. Their citizens still don’t want us.”
Claiming that Taiwan is not alone in harbouring this sentiment, the company added, “And this is not just Taiwan. In Singapore, BBC found over 140 rental listings that explicitly said ‘no Indians.’ The CECA trade deal turned into a slur.”
It also spoke about discrimination against Indians in Japan and South Korea, as well as hate crimes against Indians in the UK, US, and Canada. The company said, “The West has loud racism. When mobs riot, the PM goes on TV calling it ‘thuggery.’ The press covers every attack, and charges get filed against the rioters.
“The East has quiet racism. No riots, no headlines. Just a bouncer telling you ‘no Indians’ at a club in Busan or a landlord in Tokyo rejecting your application without giving a reason. There’s no anti-discrimination law to invoke and no press to escalate to.”
Positioning the West as a “safer” place to migrate to, Nybula asserted, “The loud version of racism gives you something to fight. The quiet version just wears you down.
“What you should actually ask about a country (is) not “is it safe?” Every country has crime stats, and they all look fine on paper. Ask, if I get rejected, can I do something about it?’ In the West, you usually can. There are laws that protect you and media that covers you when something goes wrong. In Asia, you mostly can’t.”
The company then promoted its services to help Indians get matched to destinations that are “safe.” It claimed, “…we’ll help you figure out which country fits your career goals and your budget, and which ones are safe enough that you won’t spend the next 10 years feeling like you don’t belong.
“A bad country choice will cost you 5 years of your life and a loan you can’t pay off. The right one will pay you back for the rest of your life.”
While some netizens agreed with the characterisations the company made of Eastern nations, others had mixed opinions. One commenter said, “If more than one culture is doing it, maybe you need to address the behaviour instead of saying it’s racism.”
Another commenter, referring to the point about Singapore, asked, “How many non-vegetarians, Dalits, Muslims have been denied a house for rent? The reasons are similar. First, have we been able to fix these issues in India?”
A number of individuals also questioned whether more can be done to stop these negative impressions from taking root in the first place. One commenter opined, “It’s actually shameful for us as Indians. In the past decades, if we look, several Indians visited countries but misbehaved and did not show any civic sense…as Indians, why not we behave properly when we visit any other country?
“When we visit our relatives’ home, we don’t misbehave or spread mess, so why we forget when we visit a foreign country? More importantly, we need to make our country better, cleaner & systematic,” they added.
