Is Delhi Better Than Bengaluru? CARS24 Founder Vikram Chopra 'Asks' Non-Kannada-Speaking Engineers To Come To Capital City, Netizens Slam Him
Vikram Chopra, the founder and CEO of an online used car sale platform, has put out a post on X that could stir controversy. In his post, Chopra shared an 'invite' to non-Kannada-speaking individuals in Bengaluru and Karnatak at large to return to Delhi.
The Language Problem
The city of Bengaluru, the state capital of Karnataka, once a sleepy town, that was regarded as the retirement home for many, has transformed into a bustling tech hub. By all means, it is now regarded as the IT City or IT Capital of India.
This has resulted in talent from all over the country landing up on the shores of the Garden City, looking to fulfil their aspirations by becoming a part of the tech story.
Many who come to the city are from places that do not speak Kannada, the state's official language, as their first language. Some of them are from the Northern part of the country, where Hindi is the most commonly, and in some cases, the only language used or spoken.
As a result of this, there have been many instances of cultural clashes of many kinds that have ensued in the city and the state at large. This has led to many Kannada language groups asking or rather demanding 'mandatory' comprehension of Kannda by those who live and work here.
CARS24 CEO Invites Engineers To Delhi
In the light of this social confrontation, Chopra's post garners a lot of significance. In his post, the 'invite' read, "Still can't speak Kannada after years in Bengaluru?". It's OK. Aa jao Dilli. (Now, you may come to Delhi). teh ad post further read, "We are looking for kickass engineers who wish to stay close to home."
In the post that carried this 'job advertisement', Chopra added the caption, "We are not saying Delhi NCR is better. Only that it really is.
If you wish to come back, write to me at vikram@cars24.com with the subject - Delhi meri jaan ♥️"
CARS24 is headquartered out of Gurugram in Haryana.
Netizens React
Reacting to the post, some users on X had their thoughts to share. One user citing an old post from Chopra, said, "You should, probably, delete this." To which, Chopra replied, "Tedha hai par mera hai."
Other users had a more retaliatory tone. One user said, "If that’s true, then Stop selling Old Cars (probably violating Strict Pollution and RTO guidelines) from Delhi in Bangalore dude."
Another user, citing the crime rate in Delhi, added, "Delhi NCR has its charm, but before calling it ‘better,’ let’s take a moment to consider the reality. A look at the crime data might offer a different perspective. Think twice before making the move."
One user called it a marketing tactic, while others were in a different flow and poked at various ills of the capital city.
"Vikram no one wants to leave Namma Bengaluru. This is the reality. If you can't speak that's your choice no one is forcing you to learn it . If you learn also it's good for you . I'm from karntaka but I live in pune I have learnt marati because it's good to communicate with new people . After all you can't accept people speak Hindi or English.", said another user.