Zoho CEO Sparks Debate Over Kannada in Bengaluru
Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu stirred a conversation on X (formerly Twitter) by stating that those who make Bengaluru their home should learn Kannada, calling it disrespectful not to do so. His comment was in response to a post featuring two men wearing T-shirts proclaiming “Hindi National Language” with the caption, “Perfect T-shirt for Bangalore trip.”
In his post, Vembu emphasized, “If you make Bengaluru your home, you should learn Kannada, and your kids should too. Not doing so after living here for years is disrespectful.” He also mentioned encouraging employees in Chennai to learn Tamil when relocating there.
Mixed Reactions Online
The remark sparked diverse reactions. One user questioned the logic, saying, “Not learning a language is disrespectful? Logic dies there.” Another added, “Language is for communication. In Bengaluru, most people I meet use English. How can one prioritize Kannada over English?”
Others supported Vembu’s view, citing examples of people integrating into local cultures by learning the language. A user highlighted, “Many Tamils and Malayalis in Kolkata speak Bengali fluently. Loving the local dialect is fantastic if you’re living there long-term.”
Who is Sridhar Vembu?
Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho, has a net worth of $5.8 billion according to Forbes. A Princeton PhD holder, he began his career at Qualcomm in 1994 and later co-founded Zoho, a leading provider of cloud-based business software.
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