Sridhar Vembu, founder and the chief scientist of Zoho, advised Tamil-speaking engineers and business owners to learn Hindi in order to expand their companies. The development transpired amid fierce clash between the central government and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on behalf of Zoho and the company’s engineers who work closely with clients in Delhi, Mumbai and even Gujarat, Vembu emphasized that it is “smart to learn Hindi” and conveyed that engineers working in rural areas of Tamil Nadu are at a disadvantage if they do not speak the language. “As Zoho grows rapidly in India, we have rural engineers in Tamil Nadu working closely with customers in Mumbai and Delhi – so much of our business is driven form these cities and from Gujarat. Rural jobs in Tamil Nadu depend on us serving those customers well,” he expressed on social media.
As Zoho grows rapidly in India, we have rural engineers in Tamil Nadu working closely with customers in Mumbai and Delhi – so much of our business is driven form these cities and from Gujarat. Rural jobs in Tamil Nadu depend on us serving those customers well.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) February 25, 2025
Not knowing Hindi…
Vembu termed the lack of knowledge of Hindi as “serious handicap for us in Tamil Nadu” and informed that he has been studying Hindi himself. He also highlighted that learning the language is a pragmatic rather than a political decision. “It is smart for us to learn Hindi. I have learned to read Hindi haltingly in the last 5 years and I can now understand about 20% of what is spoken,” the former Zoho CEO added.
Vembu further stressed, “As India is a fast growing economy, engineers and entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu will be smart to learn Hindi.” He concluded by declaring, “Ignore the politics, let us learn the language.” His comments came in the wake of protests in Tamil Nadu over the alleged imposition of Hindi via NEP, as DMK cadres enabled by their leadership have blackened Hindi words on buildings and railway stations at different locations in the state.
As stated explicitly in the NEP, the center has repeatedly reassured that there is no Hindi imposition, however, the DMK and its allies have been accusing the Modi administration of attacking Tamil culture and language in order to start a pointless language war for their own political agenda. Their hypocrisy was recently exposed by Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai.
