Zoho co-founder tells Indians in America to come back

Mumbai: In a time when conversations around migration, jobs, and identity are getting more intense across the world, Sridhar Vembu has written an open letter on X that is drawing both support and criticism. Addressed to Indians living in the United States, his message goes beyond careers and money. It touches on belonging, respect, and what role Indians abroad should play in creating India’s future. His words carry a mix of gratitude, concern, and a direct call to action – come back home.

Vembu begins by recalling a journey familiar to many Indians abroad, arriving in America with limited means but strong educational and cultural roots. He acknowledges the opportunities the country offered, saying, “America was good to us. For that, we must remain grateful – gratitude is our Bharatiya way.” But the tone soon changes as he points to a growing discomfort. According to him, a noticeable section of Americans believes Indians “take away” jobs and have succeeded unfairly.

He goes on to describe a political environment where Indians in the US are caught in an ongoing ideological fight. Without naming sides directly, he says the choice is between “people who hate our Bharatiya civilisation and people who hate civilisation itself,” adding that Indians are largely bystanders in this conflict. The remark suggests that long-term stability and respect may not come from staying abroad.

At the centre of his argument is a bigger concern – global respect. Vembu writes that how Indians are viewed worldwide will depend heavily on India’s own progress. “If India remains poor,” he notes, “the woke left will give us moral lectures with pity and the hard right with scorn,” making it clear that neither amounts to genuine respect. Instead, he believes that real standing in the world comes from technological strength, economic growth, and national capability.