'Can't disagree more': Bengaluru founder slams Zoho's Sridhar Vembu's remarks on Karnataka capital

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said Bengaluru “aspires to join the first world” in the context of the city's infrastructure troubles.

Bengaluru-based startup investor Ritesh Banglani weighed in on Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu's remarks on the quality of life in Bengaluru in the context of the heavy rain that paralysed several parts of the city this week.

Ritesh Banglani (L) reacted to a post on Bengaluru by Sridhar Vembu (R), Zoho founder.

Vembu said Bengaluru "aspires to join the first world but we have the harsh reality of a vast population in poverty whose vote depends on cash transfer schemes". The former Zoho CEO said rural joblessness leads to unchecked migration to Bengaluru.

"If I were in politics (and I am glad I am not and I get to work on AI and compilers) I cannot think of a way to win without offering cash transfer."

Vembu also said the quality of life in Bengaluru depends crucially on "how many people we succeed in not sending to Bengaluru from rural India".

The entrepreneur was reacting to a post by Mohandas Pai, in which the former chief financial officer (CFO) of Infosys slammed the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government for the infrastructure troubles in Bengaluru.

On Wednesday, Ritesh Banglani took to X, slamming Vembu's take on Bengaluru.

"Can't disagree more. Bangalore is not 'overcrowded'. It isn't in the top 20 cities in Asia by either population or population density. It does not have any geographical barriers to growth," he said.

The co-founder of venture capital firm Stellaris Venture Partners listed two more points to say that a population needs to urbanise as an economy develops and that it is important to “wean our people off the land and into cities”.

"Keeping our population rural is merely a dangerous Gandhian fantasy," Banglani said.

Take a look at Banglani's post:

 

"Anyone who understands the politics of Bangalore knows the 'overcrowded' is a dog-whistle for 'overcrowded with outsiders'. It shifts the blame from the administration to the citizens, especially to a tiny minority with no representation. Tech leaders, at least, should push back against this nativist narrative."