[konaraddi]

If this was the norm in India then the food service business would collapse because there are far far more Indians than foreigners even in most or all of the touristy areas. There’s likely a more plausible explanation for you and your guy friends being denied (e.g. visiting a restaurant in a touristy area that prefers foreigners to take advantage of the diff in purchasing power by charging more or expecting more in tips).

> We Indians are an amusing bunch!

There’s some irony in ending your comment with a slightly racist remark. Imagine if one said, “Them <insert another race> are an amusing bunch!” A bit racist isn’t it?

I read a quote on HN that stuck with me and articulates why some Indians will say something self-hating (even when it’s off-topic, as you explicitly acknowledged in the first sentence of your comment):

“For many Indians, self-flagellation is a sign of their intellectual arrival.”

Perhaps an artifact of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_mentality

[lazybreather]

I should have mentioned, our appearance had to do something with the situation. Majority of the crowd is Indian in such restaurants, but with clean and 'westernized' attire. Our experience was not unsurprising becasue we had seen/read several such instances all across the country. In fact, there is a law passed in Tamil Nadu mandating all public places to allow folks with Dhotis or face license termination. This is to peotect the interests of natives. Quite a bit of what is mentioned in your comment is loaded. I wouldn't want to get into details and am happy to let your opinions be. Only thing, I am well aware that I am writing on HN, a place which inherently forces you to be reasonable and grounded. Writing here takes 10x more time than usual. So yeah, my intellectual arrival can never really arrive.