'I came back from US and it has...': Founder reacts to Sridhar Vembu's appeal
Zoho's Sridhar Vembu published an "Open letter to Indians in America", urging skilled Indians overseas to return and help build India’s technological strength
- Apr 27, 2026,
- Updated Apr 27, 2026 7:06 PM IST
TuluAI founder Amrit Shenava on Monday backed Sridhar Vembu's call for Indians in the United States to return home, saying he moved to India in 2023 after spending his life abroad and that the decision had "worked out very well".
Shenava said he returned from the US to build Flashmates and TuluAI. "I moved to India in 2023 from the US after living my entire life abroad since birth to build @Flashmateshq and @tuluaihq. And it has worked out very well. I made the choice willingly and I am even more optimistic about India."
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His remarks came after Vembu published an "Open letter to Indians in America", urging skilled Indians overseas to return and help build India’s technological strength.
"As difficult as it is for many of you to contemplate this, please come back home. Bharat Mata needs your talent. Our vast youthful population needs the technology leadership you gained over the years to guide them towards prosperity," Vembu wrote.
He argued that global respect for Indians would depend on India's own progress, adding that "respect in today's world, along with prosperity and security, comes from one source: a nation's technological prowess."
Founder says India has deep problems, but entrepreneurs must solve them
While supporting Vembu's message, Shenava said India faced serious structural challenges, especially in education and civic life. "There is no denying that India has a LOT of problems. However, the only folks that are going to fix these problems are entrepreneurs. And we need to fix our broken education system as well," he wrote.
He criticised universities for prioritising placements over problem-solving skills, saying many engineers graduate without employable skills or curiosity. "We have a major civic sense problem, and we have unfortunately normalized mediocrity because we unfortunately are a status-driven society rather than a value-driven society. The list is endless," he added.
Shenava said he was launching TuluBuildFund, which he described as a VC or accelerator aimed at backing ambitious founders. "So instead of complaining, let’s build and also empower more builders to build."
Critics push back on Vembu's call
Vembu’s appeal also drew criticism from some public figures who said India must first address everyday governance and business hurdles.
BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover wrote: "What delulu! Record-breaking heat in India is clearly making people dizzy. Just DON’T - be scientific in your approach. Look at numbers - $1 = ₹94. Temperature = 50C."
Kasturi Shankar, actor and activist, said she had returned to India years ago but found conditions difficult.
"I came back. Many of my classmates did too. Each of us had a dream to give back to our motherland... India is terrible to do business in. It is impossible to stay honest and feel proud about it. Here, integrity is considered a liability!"
TuluAI founder Amrit Shenava on Monday backed Sridhar Vembu's call for Indians in the United States to return home, saying he moved to India in 2023 after spending his life abroad and that the decision had "worked out very well".
Shenava said he returned from the US to build Flashmates and TuluAI. "I moved to India in 2023 from the US after living my entire life abroad since birth to build @Flashmateshq and @tuluaihq. And it has worked out very well. I made the choice willingly and I am even more optimistic about India."
Don't Miss: Heatwave: These are hottest places today; IMD issues fresh alert for north, central India
His remarks came after Vembu published an "Open letter to Indians in America", urging skilled Indians overseas to return and help build India’s technological strength.
"As difficult as it is for many of you to contemplate this, please come back home. Bharat Mata needs your talent. Our vast youthful population needs the technology leadership you gained over the years to guide them towards prosperity," Vembu wrote.
He argued that global respect for Indians would depend on India's own progress, adding that "respect in today's world, along with prosperity and security, comes from one source: a nation's technological prowess."
Founder says India has deep problems, but entrepreneurs must solve them
While supporting Vembu's message, Shenava said India faced serious structural challenges, especially in education and civic life. "There is no denying that India has a LOT of problems. However, the only folks that are going to fix these problems are entrepreneurs. And we need to fix our broken education system as well," he wrote.
He criticised universities for prioritising placements over problem-solving skills, saying many engineers graduate without employable skills or curiosity. "We have a major civic sense problem, and we have unfortunately normalized mediocrity because we unfortunately are a status-driven society rather than a value-driven society. The list is endless," he added.
Shenava said he was launching TuluBuildFund, which he described as a VC or accelerator aimed at backing ambitious founders. "So instead of complaining, let’s build and also empower more builders to build."
Critics push back on Vembu's call
Vembu’s appeal also drew criticism from some public figures who said India must first address everyday governance and business hurdles.
BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover wrote: "What delulu! Record-breaking heat in India is clearly making people dizzy. Just DON’T - be scientific in your approach. Look at numbers - $1 = ₹94. Temperature = 50C."
Kasturi Shankar, actor and activist, said she had returned to India years ago but found conditions difficult.
"I came back. Many of my classmates did too. Each of us had a dream to give back to our motherland... India is terrible to do business in. It is impossible to stay honest and feel proud about it. Here, integrity is considered a liability!"