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Startup Co-founder Faces Backlash Over Hindi Remarks in US
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Moneycontrol•06-10-2026, 16:31
Startup Co-founder Faces Backlash Over Hindi Remarks in US
- •Aditya Patil, co-founder of Plethora, criticised fellow Indians in San Francisco for responding in English when he spoke to them in Hindi.
- •Patil accused those who replied in English of being ashamed of their mother tongue and internalising shame about being Indian.
- •SpaceX software engineer Vikram Subbiah identified himself as the person Patil referred to and pointed out that he is South Indian and does not speak Hindi.
- •Subbiah's response sparked a wider online debate regarding linguistic diversity and the incorrect assumption that all Indians speak Hindi.
- •Many social media users supported Subbiah, highlighting India's rich multilingual fabric and criticizing the imposition of Hindi.
Key Questions Answered
A social media row was sparked after startup co-founder Aditya Patil criticized fellow Indians for responding in English when he addressed them in Hindi during networking events.
SpaceX software engineer Vikram Subbiah identified himself as the person Patil referred to, stating that he is South Indian, does not speak Hindi, and questioned the assumption of linguistic identity.
Aditya Patil defended his remarks by stating that he was well aware not all Indians speak Hindi, and argued that he could generally tell when someone understood the language based on social cues.
