Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu urges youth to have children in their 20s

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has said that the youth of the country should have children in their 20s to perform their “demographic duty” to society and their ancestors. Vembu, in a post on X on Wednesday (November 19), said that both men and women should keep deferring having children.

“I advise young entrepreneurs I meet, both men and women, to marry and have kids in their 20s and not keep postponing it,” said Vembu.

“I tell them they have to do their demographic duty to society and their own ancestors. I know these notions may sound quaint or old-fashioned, but I am sure these ideas will resonate again,” he added.

How the remarks came

The Zoho founder made the remarks in response to a post by entrepreneur Upasana Konidela, vice-chairperson of Apollo Hospitals CSR and wife of actor Ram Charan, stating that while interacting with students in IIT Hyderabad, she noticed a change of attitude to marriage.

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“I truly had an amazing time interacting with the students at @IITHyderabad When I asked, “How many of you want to get married?” — more men raised their hands, than the women! The women seemed far more career-focused !!!! This is the new - Progressive India. Set your vision. Define your goals. Own your role. And watch yourself become unstoppable,” posted Upasana on X.

‘Its an economic issue’: Netizens

Vembu’s comments evoked a mixed response from netizens, with a section of them arguing that it was not a demographic, but an economic issue as young adults have to deal with unstable income and high living costs.

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“It's not a demographic crisis. It's an economic one. Fix that, and hands will rise on their own,” the user wrote, reported NDTV.

Referring to the stiff competition in the Indian job market, another user posted, “Yes, I would love to have children above all. BUT that alone is not my sole purpose in life.”

‘Life is not a race’: Vembu

To this, Vembu responded, saying that life was not a race and people can excel in life at any age. “Life is not a race. There is plenty of opportunity to excel at any age, and 30 is a new beginning for many people. I remember receiving this advice from my mother, and I am glad to have received it. If I were to look at life as a race, I have failed compared to Mark Zuckerberg l who is 20 years younger. Have I failed? Somehow, I don't wake up every morning thinking I am a failure. I have to thank my mother for this perspective on life,” he said.

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Responding to another user who said that encouraging youths to have children in their 20s could utterly derail their careers, Vembu said that even if someone faces a setback at the age of 28, there would still be plenty of time to recover. “Entrepreneurs who are older are more likely to succeed. There is plenty of time after 28,” he added.

The backdrop

Sridhar Vembu, 57, married Pramila Srinivasan in the late 1990s, and the couple has a son. The family lived in the United States until Srinivasan filed for divorce in 2020.

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According to court filings cited by Forbes, Srinivasan alleged that Vembu left her and their son after shifting to rural Tamil Nadu in early 2020. She claimed he later informed her through WhatsApp that he intended to end the marriage.

The filings further alleged that Vembu transferred major Zoho assets, including intellectual property and a majority of shares, to his sister and other relatives in India without her consent. Srinivasan argued that the transfers were designed to reduce the share legally owed to her and their son under California’s community-property laws.