Truecaller executive from Poland on India trip with mother: 'On-time Vande Bharat debunked some stereotypes'

Szymon Kopeć, a product director at Truecaller in Stockholm, with his mother during their one-week trip to India. (Image credit: @szymonkopec/X)

A senior executive of Truecaller in Poland, who was recently in India with his mother, said the visit helped debunk some of the "slums and overcrowded trains" stereotypes.

Szymon Kopeć, a product director of the global caller ID app, added that he had spent three years in India but it was his mother's first visit to the country and she loved her experience so much that she has been pitching India as an ideal holiday destination to the rest of the family after returning from the week-long trip.

"Unfortunately, the image of India in Poland is mostly portraying slums and overcrowded trains with people hanging on rooftops. Taking a perfectly on-time Vande Bharat debunked some stereotypes," Kopeć wrote on X. "I've travelled with my mom in India for a week and here's what she loved about it. It was her first time out of Europe and she doesn't speak English. She'd heard a lot about the country from me, read in Polish media, yet everything around here was shocking."

Kopeć said that the tech ecosystem in India "blew her mind". "In Poland, we're so far behind in that regard, while here I've shown her that there's an app for literally anything she imagines plus six alternatives from competitors," he wrote.

I've traveled with my mom in India for a week and here's what she loved about it

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It was her first time out of Europe and she doesn't speak English. She's heard a lot about the country from me, read in Polish media, yet everything around here was shocking. 1. The… pic.twitter.com/Y0Du0GSBwR — Szymon Kopeć (@szymonkopec) March 9, 2024

The duo also had a lesson in history after visiting Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. "In school, we don't have even half a lesson about India's history. Visiting Taj Mahal or forts in Jaipur was an eye-opening to what the country was for centuries, pre-colonisation."

And although Kopeć's mother does not speak English, they loved their little interactions with the people and said that they did not have any negative experiences while travelling in the country.

"Obviously what she loved the most were the people. Though she couldn't communicate with them, seeing joy all around and having these little interactions was precious, as everyone was beyond kind and we've had 0 less-than-positive experiences," he wrote.

The mother-son also tried out local delicacies and street food and although Kopeć's mother found the food a bit too spicy, she enjoyed Keralan dishes.

Responding to the post, Truecaller co-founder Nami Zarringhalam said that he also had a wonderful experience during his trip to India with his mother in February. "My mom came with me to India when I was traveling in early February too and also her first time! Had pretty much a similar experience and definitely wanted to see more: Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi (plus Agra, of course). The biggest surprise to her was the number of similarities between Iran and India," he wrote.

Read more: Narayana Murthy’s reply when Truecaller CEO asked him what he does