Washington, Aug. 25: Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy experienced a surge in popularity and online fundraising following the Republican presidential debate.

According to his campaign, Ramaswamy raised over $450,000 within the first hour after the debate, with an average donation of $38.

Popular news outlet Axis reported, "In Trump's absence, Ramaswamy takes the lead in the GOP debate."

The first post-debate poll revealed that 28 per cent of the 504 respondents believed Ramaswamy performed the best. Following closely behind were Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 per cent and Pence with 13 per cent. Haley received 7 per cent of the votes.

Ramaswamy faced strong criticism from three of his main competitors: former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

According to Fox News, Ramaswamy was the most Googled GOP candidate during the first Republican presidential debate. He was closely followed by fellow Indian-American, Haley. Interestingly, both Indian-Americans stood side by side on the debate stage.

In a report titled "Vivek Ramaswamy Grabs Spotlight at First Republican Primary Debate," The Wall Street Journal highlighted Ramaswamy's presence in the debate.

However, the editorial board criticised his foreign policy proposals, doubting their potential to lead him to the White House.

During Wednesday's prime-time GOP presidential debate, 38-year-old political novice Ramaswamy managed to capture the spotlight, as reported by a financial daily.

However, the report also noted that there was little indication that Ramaswamy or any other candidate had discovered a new strategy to surpass front-runner Donald Trump.

The New York Times described Ramaswamy as a biotech entrepreneur who entered the debate with unchecked confidence and a penchant for insults.

He engaged his rivals in heated exchanges that dominated the discussion among the Republican candidates. With a bold approach, Ramaswamy openly criticised his opponents, displaying little deference to the more experienced individuals on the debate stage.

The first debate was dubbed the "Vivek Ramaswamy Show" by NBC news.

According to the news channel, Ramaswamy, a political newcomer, took on the role of defending Trump but also faced attacks from his rivals regarding his lack of experience and foreign-policy positions. He was targeted 11 times during the debate.

The debate had a significant impact on Ramaswamy's popularity, as reported by Messenger, a rapidly growing online news portal.

During the debate, Ramaswamy engaged in heated exchanges with Mike Pence, Chris Christie and Nikki Haley. As a longshot candidate and entrepreneur, he used his unconventional policy views to garner attention and provoke his opponents. This allowed his rivals to criticise him without alienating Trump supporters or giving an advantage to the second-place candidate, DeSantis.

Ramaswamy exuded confidence after the debate, expressing to reporters that only two candidates would remain in the race: himself and former president Trump. During the debate, he went as far as describing Trump as one of the best presidents of the 21st century.

Following the debate, Ramaswamy spoke to reporters, stating, "I was the clear winner of the night. But we are just getting started. ... My sense is that it landed very well. Pretty soon it'll be down to a two-horse race between Trump and myself."-Agencies