Learn Kannada to respect local culture, says Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu

Zoho Corporation CEO Sridhar Vembu has urged Bengaluru residents to embrace Kannada, emphasizing its importance in respecting the city’s cultural fabric.

In a recent social media post, Vembu highlighted that learning the local language is essential for fostering harmony and demonstrating respect for the community.

Vembu’s comments came in response to a viral social media post featuring two men wearing T-shirts with the phrase "Hindi National Language," accompanied by the caption, "Perfect T-shirt for a Bangalore trip." The post reignited debates about linguistic identity and respect for regional languages.

"If you make Bengaluru your home, you should learn Kannada, and your kids should learn Kannada. Not learning Kannada after spending many years in Bengaluru is disrespectful," Vembu wrote on X. He also shared his efforts to encourage Zoho employees in Chennai from other states to learn Tamil.

The statement sparked a range of reactions online. Some users supported Vembu’s sentiment but stressed that language learning should be an organic process, especially given the demands of modern life.

One user commented, “There’s always a long list of things to learn - tech certifications, other courses, and even my mother tongue’s script. Adding a new language is challenging unless it happens naturally. Encouraging broken attempts and small interactive sessions might help.”

Others pointed out Bengaluru’s linguistic diversity and the dominance of English in daily communication. “In Bengaluru, I meet more non-Kannadigas than Kannadigas. Most communication happens in English. How can Kannada take priority over English for newcomers?” said another user.