‘Sabse sasta, sabse saaf, sabse smart’: MBA Chai Wala on why Ahmedabad stands out

Ahmedabad has often been praised for its business culture, food and growing infrastructure, but entrepreneur Praful Billore has now called it the “most underrated city in India”. In a post that has sparked a debate online, the MBA Chai Wala led several reasons why he believes Ahmedabad deserves more attention. However, not everyone agreed with his glowing assessment.Praful Billore ls why he rates Ahmedabad highly. (Instagram/@itsmeprafulbillore)Billore shared his views in a social media post, beginning with a simple declaration: “Ahmedabad is the most underrated city in India. No, seriously.”‘Ahmedabad’s identity is execution’Billore highlighted Ahmedabad’s business community, pointing to some of India’s oldest and wealthiest trading families. He also praised the city’s food culture, infrastructure and relatively affordable cost of living.“Food? You haven’t lived until you’ve had a full Gujarati thali at 11am on a Tuesday like it’s completely normal,” he wrote.On infrastructure, he pointed to the Bus Rapid Transit System, Sabarmati Riverfront and Metro, calling Ahmedabad a Tier 1 city that “actually planned itself”.(Also Read: ‘2 hrs 15 mins in traffic’: Bengaluru traveller says rain nearly made him miss flight)He also compared the cost of living with Mumbai, writing, “Your Mumbai rent gets you a bungalow here.”Billore went on to mention the presence of IIM Ahmedabad and what he described as Asia’s largest textile market, while also praising the city’s safety.“Safety? Women walking at midnight. Enough said,” he wrote.He also praised the city’s people and their approach to business and wealth creation.“Gujaratis don’t talk about building wealth. They just quietly do it. Then offer you chai,” he wrote.Concluding his post, Billore said, “Every city has an identity. Ahmedabad’s identity is execution.”He summed up his praise for the city with the line, “Sabse sasta. Sabse saaf. Sabse smart,” before adding that the best city in India is not necessarily the loudest one.Take a look:Internet reactsThe post sparked a mixed response, with some users agreeing with Billore while others pointed out what they felt were shortcomings of Ahmedabad.“Not at all. It is one of the most boring cities, I found, not because of development but lack of natural beauty near it,” one person commented.“All your points are valid except one thing. There is not much to do in and around Ahmedabad except eat, eat and eat,” another wrote, adding that they wished the city had more natural attractions such as beaches or mountains.One user joked that moving half of Bengaluru’s IT population to Ahmedabad would destroy any city.Another shared a more personal perspective: “I was born in Amdavad, settled in Pune. My birthplace was full of love, and the land of work full of gratitude. Jai Garvi Gujarat and Jai Maharashtra Maajha.”(Also Read: ‘Your voice is like a girl’: Harvard graduate reveals how teacher helped him overcome years of bullying)Others criticised the city’s traffic and roads.“All enumerated things are given an affirmative nod, but the worst is the traffic sense among Amdavadi people,” one person wrote.“Old City is as bad as it could get. Every now and then there is a scuffle on the roads,” another commented, while also criticising the cost of street food.(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)