NRI responds to Sridhar Vembu's open letter: Infra needs to be fixed for Indians who stayed back

NRI responds to Sridhar Vembu's open letter: Infra needs to be fixed for Indians who stayed back

Zoho co‑founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu’s recent open letter to Indians living in the US, urging them to return home and help build India’s technological future, has sparked a wide debate on migration, opportunity and the conditions needed to reverse brain drain.

In the open letter shared on X, Vembu argued that the global respect Indians command is closely tied to India’s own economic and technological strength. He said that as political sentiment in the US hardens, Indians there risk becoming collateral damage in a broader cultural and ideological conflict, and called on the diaspora to bring their skills back to Bharat “with a missionary zeal”.

Several people took to X to respond to the letter, and among them was Amarnath Shivashankar, an NRI IT architect who has lived abroad for three years. His voice stood out because he did not entirely disagree with Vembu’s views but felt the issue was more complex.

Shivashankar started out by saying that he has been living out of India for three years. "I am not sure how long I will continue to be one, but I am emotionally connected to what's happening in Bengaluru/Karnataka/India more than anything else. Life is a package, and there are good and bad things in every part of the world."

He added that while racism and second‑class treatment of immigrants do exist abroad, there are also tangible benefits in terms of infrastructure, clean air, clean water and governance that continue to attract Indians overseas.

He also acknowledged that some NRIs would return to India—whether due to visa issues, job losses, family responsibilities or a genuine desire to build something at home.

‘Fix India for those who stayed’

Shivashankar’s central argument to Vembu, however, shifted the focus away from return migration as a goal in itself. Improving Indian infrastructure and governance, he argued, should not be about luring NRIs back.

“Indian infrastructure and cities need to be fixed for the sake of Indians who decided to stay back, who decided to work hard, build something in their own country despite having challenges around corruption and lack of governance,” he wrote.

In his view, those who stayed on in India—often without the option or desire to migrate—deserve better living conditions first, regardless of whether the diaspora returns.

"Honestly, these are the guys who left India for something better," Shivashankar said. "But Indian infrastructure and cities need to be fixed for the sake of Indians who decided to stay back, who decided to work hard, build something in their own country, despite having challenges around corruption and lack of governance."

Shivashankar's response drew significant engagement on social media, with several users echoing concerns around urban infrastructure and public accountability.

"Agree with you on cities + infrastructural: critical part of the equation to stop future brain drain, let alone reverse it," one X user wrote, while another commented, "As a taxpayer, I get nothing in return from the government. Everything is expensive. Also, the system is very corrupt."

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