Mark Rober Discovers Indian Street Food with Curly Tales
In a delightful cross-cultural adventure, YouTube sensation and former NASA engineer Mark Rober teamed up with India’s beloved travel and food platform Curly Tales to explore the vibrant and flavorful world of Indian street food. This unexpected yet exciting collaboration marks one of Rober’s major activities during his highly anticipated visit to India as part of the Jugaad Contest 2025 initiative.
Known globally for his explosive science videos, intricate engineering builds, and the famous glitter bomb series, Rober is now turning heads in India with a mission to celebrate and inspire creativity, particularly through everyday innovations—something Indians fondly call “Jugaad.” His journey in India includes a mix of public events, workshops, and now, a spicy gastronomical detour.
Curly Tales, led by the charismatic Kamiya Jani, invited Rober on a guided street food tour across Mumbai’s most iconic local stalls. From biting into crispy samosas and tangy pani puri to experiencing the mouthwatering crunch of vada pav, the duo filmed their reactions, shared stories of childhood favorites, and discussed how Indian food connects deeply with the nation’s spirit of innovation.
“What I love about India is the ingenuity everywhere,” Rober said during the shoot. “Even in something as simple as a food cart, you can see creativity in motion. And the food—wow! It’s an engineering marvel in its own right.”
Curly Tales ensured that the day wasn’t just about eating. The show highlighted the street vendors’ stories, many of whom are paragons of the jugaad mindset, having built their businesses from scratch with limited resources and tons of creativity. Rober, who champions innovation through his CrunchLabs brand, found common ground in these tales of resilience and innovation.
The video collaboration is already generating buzz across platforms, with fans praising the candid camaraderie between Rober and Jani. With over 68 million subscribers on YouTube and millions more across social platforms, Rober’s Indian food escapade has added a flavorful twist to his visit.
This collaboration also shines a spotlight on the Jugaad Contest 2025, launched by Rober in partnership with CrunchLabs. Running from April 30 to September 15, 2025, the contest invites Indian residents aged 8 and above to submit videos showcasing their most inventive, homegrown Jugaad solutions. Winners stand a chance to earn ₹5 lakh each, with ten inventors being chosen.
Contestants must post their invention videos on public social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, X, or YouTube) using the hashtag #MarkRoberJugaad and submit the link via the official contest website: https://www.markroberjugaad.com/.
This isn’t Rober’s first attempt to blend science with fun and social impact. His projects like #TeamTrees and #TeamSeas have previously raised millions for environmental causes. His recent endeavors with CrunchLabs also aim to spark curiosity in children, offering STEM-based toys and video lessons to make learning hands-on and exciting.
The Curly Tales episode not only captures Mark’s delight in tasting Indian street food but also his genuine admiration for India’s people and their enterprising spirit. As Kamiya noted, “Mark brings a fresh perspective, and through food, we connected on something universally joyful.”
Rober’s India visit includes more such collaborative surprises, including features with CarryMinati, SlayPoint, TechBurner, and a special segment with cricketer Hardik Pandya. These interactions are not just digital entertainment but part of a broader mission: to embed global science culture with Indian ingenuity.
As the Jugaad Contest heats up and Rober continues to explore India’s innovation hubs, his partnership with Curly Tales serves as a delicious reminder that great ideas can come from the simplest of places—and sometimes, from the tastiest.
To participate in the contest or to watch the Curly Tales collaboration, visit: https://www.markroberjugaad.com/
Stay tuned for more India adventures with Mark Rober, where science, street food, and storytelling come together.
