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Zoho CEO backs IIT Madras director in cow urine row: ‘Modern science is recognising…’

Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu has backed IIT Madras director V Kamakoti in the cow urine controversy, claiming that modern science is waking up to its benefits.

Updated on: Jan 22, 2025 09:39 AM IST
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Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu has backed IIT Madras director V Kamakoti in the cow urine controversy, claiming that modern science is waking up to its benefits.

The controversy over cow urine

CEO of Zoho Corporation Sridhar Vembu backed IIT-M director over 'gomutra' benefits. (Image via Twitter)
CEO of Zoho Corporation Sridhar Vembu backed IIT-M director over 'gomutra' benefits. (Image via Twitter)

V Kamakoti, the Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, recently faced backlash for saying that cow urine, or ‘gomutra’, possesses anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and digestive properties that could help treat conditions like fever and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Kamakoti’s comments proved extremely controversial, with a section of the internet saying his claims were not backed by science. In his speech made at a Pongal celebration on January 15, however, the IIT Madras director had quoted scientific studies as well as peer-reviewed papers to make his point about the benefits of ‘gomutra.’

“The antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine have been scientifically demonstrated… Top journals in the United States have published scientific evidence,” Kamakoti stated.

Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu on Tuesday shared a post of support for V Kamakoti. He praised the IIT Madras director as “an accomplished researcher” who had backed his claims on gomutra with scientific evidence.

“IIT Madras Director Prof Kamakoti is an accomplished researcher and educator. He gave citations of scientific papers on the beneficial properties of cow urine. Modern science is increasingly recognising the value of our traditional insights. Online mobs are simply channeling their own prejudices, not based on any scientific insight,” wrote the 57-year-old CEO of Zoho.

“Stay strong Prof Kamakoti. Don't give into the attack mobs,” he added.

A few months ago, Vembu had been blasted as an “health-illiterate boomer uncle” by Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, aka The Liver Doc, over the issue of grounding via walking barefoot.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanya Jain

Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.

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