What? The Solar Man of India, also popularly known as Solar Gandhi, Chetan Singh Solanki was seen wearing socks riddled with holes at a luxury hotel in New Delhi, where he was scheduled to give a talk on leadership.

That's true. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay professor says that he can afford socks but nature cannot!

After a picture of Prof Solanki, who has taught at IIT Bombay for over 20 years, went viral on social media where he was spotted wearing socks with holes, he took to LinkedIn to clarify.

He said, "Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to use material as efficiently as possible."

Professor Solanki is best known for striving to raise awareness about environmental degradation and has journeyed over 43,000 km in India to spread the good word about solar energy. Clearly, he walks his talk.

In the LinkedIn post, he went on to say, "I may use the best gadgets to enhance my productivity, but I strive to use the least amount of material to reduce my carbon footprint...Just as a businessman seeks to maximize the return on financial investments, as a social worker, I aim to maximize the impact of my time, creating the greatest possible change."

Yesterday, October 1, he took to LinkedIn again to address the trolls.

"To those who think because they have money and they buy as much as they want, can overuse or waste, let’s be clear: Yes, you can buy, but nature cannot supply," he said.