Zoho Founder Sridhar Vembu Calls for Self-Reliance to Win Global Respect

Zoho founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu has called on India to prioritize domestic innovation and capability building, asserting that true global respect will only be earned when the country develops using the talent of its own people. Vembu emphasized that India's national progress should remain rooted in self-reliance rather than political changes or international approval.

The entrepreneur's public comments were made in response to statements by American investor and mathematician Eric Weinstein regarding targeted online hostility against Indians. As per a report by The Times of India, Vembu advocated for a constructive economic and technological response to prejudice instead of reacting with animosity. No Salary Hikes at Zoho: Are Mass Layoffs Coming to the Software Major? Know What Sridhar Vembu Said.

Sridhar Vembu Says India Must Build to Get Global Respect 

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.

The racist shows us a mirror and asks: "if your nation is smart, why do you want to come here". I do not hate… https://t.co/YnMEN5Teci

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) October 23, 2026

Response to Online Hostility and Global Perception

The exchange began after Weinstein highlighted a rise in unprovoked hostility directed towards India, Hindus, and people of Indian origin across international social media platforms. Responding directly to these observations, Vembu noted that prejudice often acts as a mirror questioning why talented professionals leave the country.

Rather than harboring anger toward critics or skeptics, Vembu explained that the most effective response is to establish competitive businesses, robust domestic infrastructure, and world-class technology institutions. He noted that those who doubt the nation's capacity for growth should be met with tangible economic development rather than resentment.

Self-Reliance and Domestic Capability Building

Vembu underlined that corporate ventures and sovereign nations are constructed by individuals who remain convinced of the possibility of progress. He reiterated that the primary mandate for the country must be a sustained focus on expanding technical and industrial capabilities across key economic sectors. Zoho Refuses Layoffs as Sridhar Vembu Cites AI Expenses and Growth.

Concluding his statement, the technology leader declared that the immediate national imperative is to "build, build and build". He stressed that developing native software, hardware, and industrial supply chains remains the definitive path toward ensuring long-term sovereign economic strength.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2026 11:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).