'Learn Kannada, Marathi if you are moving to those states,' says Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu on Indian elite and nationalism

India’s educated elite must rediscover their sense of belonging and commitment to the nation, said Zoho’s founder and Chief Scientist Sridhar Vembu, urging citizens to embrace local languages and regional identities as an expression of true nationalism.

He argued 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, warning that globalization had led many urban Indians to see themselves as “global citizens” detached from their roots.

He called for a revival of cultural and linguistic pride, urging people to 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.

Highlighting a sharp contrast between rural and urban India, Vembu said the spirit of belonging remains strong in India’s villages and small towns but is 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.

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Vembu linked this nationalistic spirit directly to Zoho’s philosophy and growth.

The company, headquartered in Tamil Nadu, has built offices and training centres in rural areas to decentralise opportunity and retain local talent.

“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.

He also cited countries like Japan, Korea, and China as examples where national pride and self-reliance have powered rapid development.

“They developed because they had that spirit. Without that spirit, all these questions about growth or brain drain become meaningless,” he added.

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