Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu urges youngsters to marry and have kids in their 20s, sparks debate

he Zoho founder pushed for early marriage and parenthood, countering views that financial independence should come first.

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has waded into the ongoing social media debate on the “right age” to get married, urging young Indians, especially those in their 20s, to marry early and have children instead of deferring family life.

The discussion was originally sparked by Upasana Konidela, Vice Chairperson of CSR at Apollo Hospitals and wife of actor Ram Charan, who recently suggested that young women should focus on becoming financially independent before marrying. Her remarks triggered a wave of arguments online.

Taking a contrary view, Vembu said he regularly encourages young entrepreneurs, men and women alike, to embrace marriage and parenthood sooner rather than later. “I advise young entrepreneurs I meet, both men and women, to marry and have kids in their 20s and not keep postponing it,” he wrote, adding that his suggestion may seem “old-fashioned” today but will “resonate again” in the years to come. He argued that having children is not just a personal choice but a “demographic duty” to society and previous generations.

Not everyone agreed. One user pointed out that young people aren’t delaying marriage because of culture but because of sky-high living costs, unstable jobs and rent that “eats 40% of their income.” “It’s not a demographic crisis. It’s an economic one,” the user said, calling for systemic fixes rather than moral pressure.

Vembu partially concurred, acknowledging the financial strain on the youth but insisting the trend goes deeper. “I agree with you...the cost of living crisis is real. But even people who can afford to are not marrying and having kids. That is cultural,” he responded.

His comments, however, found support from several founders. Entrepreneur Kishore Sahasranaman said his own experience proved that building a startup while raising a young family was not a distraction but an anchor. “Family isn’t a distraction; it’s the support system that makes the journey sustainable,” he said.

But sceptics continued to push back. One user argued that early marriage and parenting can derail ambitions, pointing to people who had multiple kids before 30 and later found themselves struggling financially or emotionally. “What do you say to them?” the user asked. Vembu replied that life shouldn’t be seen as a race, drawing from his mother’s advice.

“There is plenty of opportunity to excel at any age...I don’t wake up thinking I’m a failure because someone else succeeded younger,” he wrote, adding that comparing himself to far younger tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg would be pointless.