"Why Pay So Much When...": Edelweiss' Radhika Gupta Amid India-Maldives Row

Amid growing tensions between India and the Maldives following a controversial tweet by a Maldives minister regarding the Lakshadweep Islands, several people including celebrities and cricketers took to social media to express their solidarity with the archipelago and encourage fellow citizens to explore the beauty of the islands. Meanwhile, the Maldivian government suspended three ministers whose social media posts against India and PM Narendra Modi sparked a massive firestorm with several Indians claiming to have cancelled their scheduled vacation to the nation.

Amid this, Radhika Gupta, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, took to X, (formerly Twitter) and said that she is "obsessed with the potential of Indian tourism" and that she does not understand why people pay so much to go to the Maldives when India has Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. "I am obsessed with the potential of a Indian tourism and have always wondered why we have to pay so much to go Maldives when we have Lakshadweep and Andaman," she said.

Ms Gupta added, "The answer is 1) infrastructure and 2) marketing. The PM's recent visit has put the spotlight on these destinations. Our hotel brands have shown us time and again that we know how to do luxury like no one else. Let's take the best of Indian hospitality to build a world class tourism experience."

Since being shared, her post has amassed over 2.7 lakh views and several reactions on the platform. 

"Never.been to Lakshadweep but my experience with Andaman was top notch. Probably to get out of India experience many people opt for Maldives etc. but Andaman remains the top beach destination from whatever places I've personally visited," said a user.

A second added, "Couldn't agree more @iRadhikaGupta it's really incredible India, its time to unlock our true potential as an awesome travel destination with so many versatile locations and monuments."

Another wrote, "Unpopular Fact - It's cheaper to go to Maldives than Lakshadweep. Let's build the Infrastructure first, Airlines should start flights to Agatti then we can think of Lakshadweep as an alternative to Maldives."

The controversy started after PM Modi, during his visit to Lakshadweep, posted about snorkelling there. The post went viral, drawing positive responses from social media users about the tourism prospects of Laskshadweep. Many suggested that the island Union Territory could even become an alternate tourist destination to the Maldives.