Namita Thapar criticises Sridhar Vembu’s ‘marry in your 20s’ advice, says she was shocked

Shark Tank India judge and Emcure Pharmaceuticals executive director Namita Thapar has sharply criticised Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu’s recent remarks urging young entrepreneurs to “marry and have kids in their 20s” as part of what he described as their “demographic duty” to society and their ancestors.

Vembu shared his advice while reposting a viral interaction featuring Upasana Konidela with IIT Hyderabad students, stating that young men and women should avoid postponing marriage and parenthood, and acknowledging that his views may seem old-fashioned but would, in his view, resonate again.

A leader with influence has a huge responsibility to use his/ her voice responsibly to take up REAL issues. 10 min back, i was shocked to read about this “marry in your 20’s” gyan.. similar to another favourite number of mine - “70” hour work week !! Since u love numbers so much,… pic.twitter.com/it0yrVm4T6

— Namita (@namitathapar) November 20, 2025

Thapar responded with a post on X expressing her astonishment and disappointment, stating that leaders with influence have a responsibility to use their platform to raise genuine issues. She said she was shocked to read this “marry in your 20s” guidance, likening it to the earlier debate around the “70-hour work week”. She argued that if Vembu wished to focus on numbers, he should highlight the fact that 57 per cent of Indian women have anaemia and that female workforce participation remains below 20 per cent — figures that have barely shifted in years. She added that she would prefer to hear leaders fulfil their duty towards women by addressing these realities, rather than emphasising obligations towards ancestors.

In an accompanying video, Thapar elaborated on how such rhetoric disproportionately burdens women, pointing out the physical and social expectations they navigate from adolescence onwards, including periods, pregnancy, motherhood and pre-menopause. She questioned where women’s own health, needs and ambitions fit into this narrative, and said that marrying later should be acceptable if that aligns with a woman’s life and priorities. She reiterated that meaningful responsibility should lie in addressing entrenched health and employment issues affecting women.

Thapar’s strong reaction has triggered a wider conversation on social media about gender norms, workplace expectations and the role of public figures in shaping discourse. Several users argued that decisions around marriage are highly context-dependent and should not be subjected to sweeping prescriptions, particularly by influential leaders. They stated that public figures must be more careful when presenting personal beliefs to heterogeneous audiences.