'UK ma riksha aavi gai chhe': Anand Mahindra shares video of an Indian auto-rickshaw on London streets, netizens call it 'reverse colonisation'

An auto-rickshaw weaving through traffic is hardly an unusual sight in India. In London, however, the same three-wheeler can turn heads. That contrast caught the attention of industrialist Anand Mahindra, who shared a video showing a Mahindra auto-rickshaw travelling on a road in the UK. Mahindra shared the video on X, along with a brief message in Gujarati. “UK ma riksha aavi gai chhe… Mahindra ni chhe, aapda,” he wrote. The Gujarati line roughly translates to, “A rickshaw has arrived in the UK. It is Mahindra’s. It is ours.” Mahindra also mentioned that the vehicle had been imported by a hobbyist.

Social media users bring Indian auto culture to the comments

The unusual sight quickly inspired jokes on X. One user replied that they had spotted a similar rickshaw in the UK a few days earlier and shared a photograph. Other commenters began imagining what a traditional Indian auto would look like if it carried all the familiar details associated with the vehicles back home.



Some mentioned phrases commonly painted on Indian rickshaws, including “Horn Please”, “Pappu Di Gaddi” and “Buri Nazar Waley, Tera Muh Kala”. The humour soon moved from the vehicle's appearance to the imagined experience of taking an auto ride in Britain. Users joked about fare negotiations and what it might be like to take a rickshaw around London. One comment even imagined a full-fledged auto ride through the British capital.

‘Reverse colonisation’ joke appears in reactions

The unexpected appearance of an Indian rickshaw on a British road also prompted historical jokes. One commenter described it as a form of “reverse colonisation”, turning Britain's colonial history into a reference for the changing movement of products and culture between the two countries.

Another user called a rickshaw on British roads an unusually confident import and compared the sight with other unexpected cultural exports. There were also jokes directed at Mahindra and his vehicles, showing how the comment section quickly became as entertaining as the original video.