Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu responded to a post by US-based mathematician and podcaster Eric Weinstein on X which focus on rise in hostility towards Indians and Hindus. Here's what he said.
Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu reacted to a post by US-based mathematician and podcaster Eric Weinstein on X about anti-India people. Responding to it, Vembu said that India will not earn true respect worldwide until it develops through its own people and their talent. Vembu furthermore commented on hatred against India, Indians, Hindus and Indian-Americans. He said that he doesn't hate 'racists'.
Zoho's Sridhar Vembu on anti-India people
Taking to X, Weinstein said that he was noted a rise in hostility towards Indians and Hindus. He wrote, "Seeing a lot of growing raw hatred against India, Indians, Hindus, Indian-Americans, etc. for no reason. Would be happy to have anyone who feels that hatred quietly unfollow me. Simple. Clean. Thanks in advance."
Replying to him, Sridhar Vembu said, "Until India develops, based on the talents of our own people, we will not find true respect in the world, no matter whether right, left or center is in charge anywhere."
“Build, build, build”
The co-founder remained hopeful and said that he doesn't hate anyone who doubts Indians and their ability. He shared that he wants to answer them with work instead.
Sridhar Vembu added, "The racist shows us a mirror and asks: "if your nation is smart, why do you want to come here". I do not hate him, I want to respond by building. Some Indians agree with the racist and think India will never develop. I do not hate them either, I want to respond by building. Companies and nations are built by people who believe it can be done. The urgent national priority is to build, build and build."
Who is Sridhar Vembu
Sridhar Vembu was born in a village in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu to a family who was primarily associated with farming.
Vembu built Zoho in the 90s. It conceived out of a small apartment located in the suburbs of Chennai. The startup was initially called “AdventNet” which later evolved into Zoho Corporation and went on to become a ₹ 1,00,000-crore multinational corporation.
He is now serving as the Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Zoho Corporation.
Zoho began in 1996 when Sridhar, Kumar and Sekar Vembu alongside Tony Thomas.
Recently, Sridhar Vembu went viral after announcing that the company has put its annual salary hikes on hold and cut down on marketing expenses amid an uncertain business outlook and rising artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure costs.
He had said, "We have cut down on our marketing budget. We have also told our employees that we cannot have our usual pay increase this year. I have apologised for not being able to avoid this."
About the Author
Sneha Biswas
Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.