By NRI Globe Editorial Team
October 13, 2025

In a nation as diverse as India—where 22 official languages weave the threads of identity—a single voice has reignited a timeless conversation. Sridhar Vembu, the visionary founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, has urged India’s urban elite to reconnect with their cultural roots by learning local languages like Kannada in Karnataka and Marathi in Maharashtra.

Speaking at a recent event, Vembu called this simple act a gesture of respect, pride, and national belonging. From his quiet office in rural Tamil Nadu, where Zoho’s global operations are run from Tenkasi, his words cut through globalization’s noise with a message both humble and revolutionary:

“If you’re going to move to Bengaluru, learn Kannada. If you’re going to move to Mumbai, learn Marathi. All our languages are important.”

The Message: Roots Over Global Facades

Vembu contrasted India’s “hyper-educated elite,” who often see themselves as global citizens, with the grounded pride of India’s villages and small towns.

“If you see rural India, if you see our smaller towns, there is that sense of belonging to the nation,” he said.

For him, learning the local tongue isn’t mere politeness—it’s a cultural anchor. It’s about recognizing that India’s progress must grow from her soil, not be imported from Silicon Valley.

As a billionaire who rejected the comfort of California to build a world-class company from a Tamil village, Vembu embodies this philosophy. Zoho employs thousands of rural engineers, runs debt-free, and proves that global success can be built in the local language.

He believes that embracing Indian languages at work builds deeper connections, bridges class divides, and helps uncover the “hidden talent” buried under English elitism.

Drawing parallels with other nations, he noted:

“We need patriotic spirit among our elite, like China and Korea.”

In a borderless digital era, Vembu warns that progress without roots breeds alienation.

Echoes of a Lifelong Crusade

This isn’t Vembu’s first linguistic crusade. A long-time advocate of “Swadeshi Tech”, he has championed mother-tongue education for years.

In August 2025, he criticized the obsession with English-medium schools:

“Are we raising children with no pride or emotional attachment to India?”

He argued that students in Bengaluru should study in Kannada and those in Chennai in Tamil—showcasing Zoho’s Tamil-speaking teams as proof that excellence thrives without English dominance.

Earlier in February 2025, however, Vembu stirred debate by encouraging Tamil engineers to learn Hindi, calling it a “business advantage.” Critics saw contradiction, but his intent was clear: Hindi for pan-India communication, regional languages for belonging.

“Ignore the politics—let us learn the language!” he urged.

His philosophy today blends both practicality and pride: speak Hindi when needed, but always honor the language of your home.

Social Media Reacts: India’s Linguistic Mosaic

Unsurprisingly, his remarks lit up social media.

Supporters hailed it as a “huge win for cultural diversity.”
One Marathi user posted, “Learning local languages isn’t just respectful—it’s how you belong.”
Another Kannadiga praised him for standing up against cultural homogenization.

But critics, too, had their say. Some mocked his “odd-even language policy,” saying, “Odd days for Hindi, even days for Kannada.” Others pointed out that expecting migrants to master multiple languages overnight was unrealistic.

In cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai—where migration blurs linguistic borders—the debate exposed India’s enduring fault lines between inclusivity and identity.

For NRIs, however, Vembu’s point hit home. Abroad, we eagerly learn French in Paris or Spanish in Madrid—but hesitate to speak Tamil or Kannada even within Indian communities.

One NRI summed it up beautifully:

“Even a few words of Kannada have saved me from trouble. It’s respect that travels both ways.”

Why It Matters: Unity Through Diversity

Vembu’s call isn’t about language politics—it’s about empathy, inclusion, and national strength.

By promoting vernacular pride, he envisions a future where an engineer from Karnataka and another from Maharashtra collaborate not just through shared code, but through shared cultural understanding.

At Zoho, this philosophy isn’t theoretical—it’s operational. The company thrives in multilingual, multicultural teams, proving that Indian languages amplify—not hinder—global competitiveness.

For NRIs, it’s a gentle reminder: identity isn’t a passport stamp—it’s a lived experience.
Vembu’s journey from Tamil Nadu’s fields to the global tech stage shows that humility and innovation can coexist.

“Humility and contentment are the core of our civilization,” he often says—a truth that feels increasingly rare in the tech age.

The Takeaway

In the end, Vembu’s message is a call to rediscover India’s linguistic soul.
Learning a few local words, honoring your adopted home, or simply greeting a neighbor in their tongue—these are small acts with profound national meaning.

Learn a phrase today; it might just help weave a stronger Bharat tomorrow.

Follow NRI Globe for more stories on Indian innovation, cultural pride, and global diaspora perspectives.

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