Yet another instance of how the Congress party, and Jawaharlal Nehru in particular, destroyed our country for decades. Killing the dreams and ideas of private entrepreneurs was a state sponsored programme in India under the Gandhi dynasty. Thread:

1. "Meera Car" was an engineering marvel designed by Shankarrao Kulkarni during the 1950s. After dropping out of school, Kulkarni worked for a few years at Kirloskar company, where he developed an interest in engine designs and wished to develop a "people's car" for Indians.

2. That's when he quit his job and travelled to Europe to learn about the latest trends in automobile tech. After returning to India, he started working on his ambitious project, and after years of research and trials, he finally built an affordable car called "Meera Mini-Car".

3. Meera Mini-Car was a revolutionary design because it was 1/4th the size of the conventional cars of that era, and could easily seat 2 people. In 1951 he applied for a license to manufacture it, but was snubbed by the Govt, which believed cars were a luxury.

4. Although he tried to explain that his car was a much safer alternative to 2-wheelers, and slightly costlier than a typical high end scooter (thus not really a luxury) the Govt paid no heed. But he didn't lose hope, and passionately continued working on improving the design.

5. Over the next 2 decades, Kulkarni consistently showcased several improved prototypes which were widely admired by the public and experts alike, but the Govt consistently refused him a licence to setup a company.

6. By the 1970s, Kulkarni finally closed down his centre, and his Meera Mini-Car epitomised the helplessness and frustration of Indian entrepreneurs whose innovations were constantly stifled due to insensitive bureaucracy and Govt's misplaced priorities.
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Text by GuruPrasad