'Learn Kannada, Marathi if you are moving to those states,' says Zoho's Sridhar Vembu

Zoho founder and Chief Scientist Sridhar Vembu urged Indian citizens to embrace local languages and regional identities as an expression of true nationalism.

Sridhar Vembu on patriotic spirit 

In an interview with MoneyControl on October 13, 2025, he reasoned that India’s development depends as much on patriotic spirit as it does on economic progress.

“We need, particularly among our educated elite, a sense that we belong to this nation. That patriotic spirit is essential. Without that spirit, development becomes meaningless,” Vembu said in the interview, warning that globalisation had led many urban Indians to see themselves as “global citizens” detached from their roots.

He said that people should learn and use regional languages when they move across states.

“Within Tamil Nadu, I speak Tamil as much as possible. And I tell people, if you are going to move to Bengaluru, learn Kannada. If you’re going to move to Mumbai, learn Marathi. All our languages are important,” he said.

Vembu remarked that India’s villages and small towns are still holding belongingness to their region, but it is increasingly fading among the urban elite.

“If you see rural India, if you see our smaller towns, there is that sense of belonging to the nation. Unfortunately, it has gone missing in our hyper-educated elite. Because of exposure, we think, ‘I’m a global citizen. I’ll live wherever.’ That attitude has to change,” he said.

“The reason Zoho exists is not because I’m a genius. It’s because our average employee feels that national spirit, that we have to build it for this nation, in this nation. That spirit is why Zoho is still ticking,” he said.

Citing Japan, Korea, and China as examples where national pride and self-reliance have powered rapid development, Vembu said, “They developed because they had that spirit. Without that spirit, all these questions about growth or brain drain become meaningless.”

Under Vembu’s leadership, Zoho has developed a model of decentralisation by establishing offices and training centres in rural areas to create local employment, nurture regional talent, and reduce the migration of young professionals to big cities.

Also read: ‘Why are roads so bad and so much garbage around?’: Kiran Majumdar Shaw shares overseas guest’s reaction to Bengaluru (startuppedia.in)