Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu shares his Amma's question that has 'put pressure on him'

Sridhar Vembu, the billionaire founder of Zoho Corporation, sparked widespread relatability on social media with a heartfelt tweet about his mother's probing questions regarding his work and AI involvement. The May 25 post detailed how his mother asked in Tamil: "What is this AI, AI everyone is talking about? Are you doing it? You are traveling and speaking at so many events, do you give enough time for work?"When Vembu responded that "speaking at events is also work," his mother remained skeptical, prompting him to add, "Now the pressure is really on." The tweet, shared from Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, has garnered thousands of interactions and highlighted a generational divide in understanding modern tech roles.This comes as Vembu transitions in his career. In January 2025, he stepped down as Zoho Corp CEO to become Chief Scientist, focusing on AI research initiatives. Vembu’s exchange with this mother struck a chord with users who shared similar experiences. One user replied, "Typical Tamil Amma Questions My mother asked once me in tamil 'Does working in laptop is real job?'" while another quipped, "Indian mother's expectations will only end after a government job sir."A user added, "You forgot one important line - 'are you eating properly and on time,'" while BlueChalkMusings shared, "Sounds like my mother. She says you are always on laptop, and take few calls here and there. Are you really working?"Meanwhile, a user offered a more reflective response: "There's a quiet wisdom in every mother's question—gently reminding us of balance, grounding, and truth… a mother's love remains the most human and divine intelligence."