 "'You should learn Kannada': Sridhar Vembu to non-natives in Bengaluru")
Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho, has expressed support for encouraging non-native residents of Bengaluru to learn Kannada. This discussion was sparked by a tweet from Moneycontrol journalist Chandra R Srikanth, who pointed out how many people readily learn European languages while traveling abroad but often resist learning regional languages within India, particularly Kannada.
Srikanth, who herself is not a native Kannada speaker, shared her personal experience of learning the language over the past decade. She mentioned that even modest efforts to speak Kannada have been well-received by locals.
Vembu agreed with Srikanth’s observations, emphasising the importance of learning the local language.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said, “If you make Bengaluru your home, you should learn Kannada and your kids should learn Kannada. Not doing so after living many years in Bengaluru is disrespectful.”
He said that he encourages his Chennai-based employees from other states to learn Tamil to better integrate into the community and show respect for the local culture.
This call to promote Kannada learning is part of a broader, ongoing conversation about regional languages in India’s urban centres, particularly in states like Karnataka. As Bengaluru continues to grow as a global tech hub, the city has seen an influx of professionals from across India and even abroad, many of whom majorly communicate in English and Hindi.
Some Bengaluru residents view learning Kannada as an important sign of respect for the state’s culture, while others argue that the necessity of doing so is less critical given the widespread use of English in business and social settings.
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Diverse opinions on social media
Vembu’s tweet sparked mixed reactions online. Many agreed with the idea that learning the local language fosters community ties. One user commented, “Learning the local language is useful in many ways and should at least make an attempt at it rather than looking for reasons. It’s more fun learning new languages.”
However, others questioned the practicality of the expectation, particularly when Indian metros function in diverse linguistic environments. One user drew a comparison to Mumbai, where many long-term Kannada residents still don’t speak Marathi fluently.
Some users on X also pointed out that Bengaluru’s multilingual culture, along with the prevalence of app-based services and English as the common language in tech, has made learning Kannada seem less essential. One commenter said that “auto/ cabs are on apps now, even without that, basic instructions are language independent.”