Sridhar Vembu believes India’s image improved in 10 years. Netizens say it's 'never been worse'

Sridhar Vembu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 'transformation' of India's image globally.

Zoho co-founder and Padma Shri awardee Sridhar Vembu said India’s global image has “transformed” in the past decade, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the change. In a post on X, Vembu wrote that those who have lived abroad “for a long period” can perceive this shift. His comments were made in response to a journalist who had shared an article from The Hindu titled 'A year of dissipating promises for Indian foreign policy' and argued that India must recognise the “limits of performative diplomacy”.

“Those of us who lived abroad for a long period (like I did, 30 years spent abroad) know just how much India’s image abroad has transformed in the past 10 years… We have to thank our Prime Minister for this,” Vembu said on X.

Those of us who lived abroad for a long period (like I did, 30 years spent abroad) know just how much India's image abroad has transformed in the past 10 years. That is the real yardstick. We have to thank our Prime Minister for this and that is the reason his popularity is so… https://t.co/qqgUkJyF83

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) December 27, 2025

But Vembu’s assessment drew sharp disagreement from several users, who questioned the basis of his claim and cited indicators such as tourism trends and passport strength to counter his argument.

Users question ‘objective metric’ for assessing India’s image

Responding to Vembu, one user asked what would constitute “a reasonable and objective metric” to measure India’s image abroad. The commenter pointed to foreign tourist arrivals — calling it a commonly used proxy — and argued that the numbers “seem to be going in the opposite direction”.

Vembu attributed that decline to pandemic-era restrictions, replying: “You forgot the serious travel restrictions for a few years?”

Another user challenged the notion of an improved global image by citing India’s low passport ranking. They wrote: “In 2025, only 59 countries allow Indians in without a pre-approved visa… The yardstick of a nation’s rise is how much the world trusts its citizens to enter their borders.”

‘Image has never been worse,’ say online commentators

A section of commenters pushed back more sharply, arguing that India’s global perception had deteriorated.

One user wrote: “Vembu-ji, please consider going abroad again… I have lived in the US for 25 years, and the image of Indians and India has never been worse… many people believe that Indians eat poop, drink cow urine, and are generally unhygienic.”

Another user said India’s reputation had declined compared with the mid-2000s, adding:

“India was not known for pajeets, illegals and H1B job thieves before...”

In response, Vembu repeated that India’s passport strength was tied to its economic standing, saying: “Our GDP per capita is still too low… To raise the GDP per capita 10x is a monumental effort and takes decades.”

Few agree with Vembu on changing perceptions

A few users, however, supported Vembu’s view, arguing that international conversations about India increasingly reference technology and digital infrastructure.

One user wrote: “For years, the questions abroad were about cows, snakes on the road, and overpopulation. Now they’re about UPI, digital infrastructure, startups, and Modi ji.”