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SpaceX Engineer Slams Tech Founder Over Hindi Language Assumption
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News18•07-10-2026, 12:46
SpaceX Engineer Slams Tech Founder Over Hindi Language Assumption
- •Startup co-founder Aditya Patil criticized Indians who reply in English during networking events despite supposedly knowing Hindi, accusing them of being ashamed of their mother tongue.
- •Vikram Subbiah, a SpaceX software engineer, revealed he was the person involved and stated he is South Indian and does not speak Hindi.
- •Subbiah called out the assumption that all Indians speak Hindi, asking how Patil would feel if expected to speak Tamil instead.
- •Social media users widely supported Subbiah, highlighting India's rich linguistic diversity and the existence of 22 officially recognized languages.
Key Questions Answered
Startup co-founder Aditya Patil posted on social media criticising Indian people who reply in English at networking events when he speaks to them in Hindi, accusing them of being ashamed of their mother tongue.
Vikram Subbiah, a SpaceX software engineer based in Washington, stated on X that he was the person Patil was referring to, noting that he is South Indian and does not speak Hindi.
Users, especially those from southern India, supported Subbiah by highlighting India's linguistic diversity and pointing out that being Indian does not mean someone automatically knows Hindi.
