Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella on Monday expressed his disappointment over India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, terming the emerging situation as “sad”. He also expressed his desire of a Bangladeshi immigrant help create the next unicorn in the country or become the CEO of Infosys.
“I think what is happening is sad… It’s just bad…. I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or becomes the next CEO of Infosys,” Nadella told BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith.
Nadella’s remarks came amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which have engulfed India since last month.
Shortly after Smith shared Nadella’s remarks, Microsoft tweeted a statement from its official handle, Nadella said, “Every country will and should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly. And in democracies, that is something that the people and their governments will debate and define within those bounds. I’m shaped by my Indian heritage, growing up in a multicultural India and my immigrant experience in the United States. My hope is for an India where an immigrant can aspire to found a prosperous start-up or lead a multinational corporation benefitting Indian society and the economy at large.”
Historian and author Ramachandra Guha, who has opposed the new citizenship law, welcomed Nadella’s remarks.
“I am glad Satya Nadella has said what he has. I wish that one of our own IT czars had the courage and wisdom to say this first. Or to say it even now,” Guha tweeted.
