Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has sparked a fresh debate on language in India by encouraging Tamil Nadu’s workforce to learn Hindi to better serve customers across northern markets, particularly in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gujarat.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vembu emphasized the practical business benefits of language flexibility, noting that rural jobs in Tamil Nadu depend on effectively serving Hindi-speaking customers. “Not knowing Hindi is often a serious handicap for us in Tamil Nadu,” Vembu stated, adding that he has personally begun learning Hindi, now understanding about 20% of spoken Hindi after five years of study.
Zoho Chief Scientist urged Tamils to set aside political considerations and embrace Hindi learning as a smart business strategy in India’s rapidly growing economy. He concluded his message with the same encouragement in both Tamil and Hindi: “Let us learn Hindi!”
Vembu’s comments have generated mixed reactions online. Some supporters agreed that Hindi should serve as “India’s common denominator and business language of choice,” questioning why some prefer English over a native Indian language.
One user replied to Vembu, asking why Hindi speakers couldn’t learn English instead, with one commenter noting, “Sir, they can learn English to communicate. But, why are they insisting that we learn Hindi?”
Others suggested a more balanced approach, pointing out that “People should learn language to get ahead. People should also learn Tamil or Kannada if they want good jobs in tech as most of the jobs is in Bengaluru and Chennai.”
This isn’t the first time Vembu has waded into language debates. In November 2024, he sparked controversy by stating that residents of Bengaluru should learn Kannada, calling it “disrespectful” not to learn the local language after living in the city for years. That statement similarly divided online opinion, with some supporting his stance on respecting local languages while others disagreed with his perspective.