Microsoft’s Nadella sad with CAA, wants Bangladeshi immigrant to launch unicorn, be Infosys CEO, says Buzzfeed Editor-in-Chief

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has expressed his disappointment with India's new Citizenship Amendment Act and expressed his desire of a Bangladeshi immigrant help create the next unicorn in the country or become the CEO of Infosys, Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief of online website BuzzfeedNews said on Monday.

"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" Smith wrote on the micro blogging platform Twitter, quoting the Indian-born Nadella as responding to his question.

Smith told ET that Nadella made these comments at a meeting with editors in Manhattan earlier in the day.


ET reached out to Microsoft seeking comments on Nadella’s statement.

Here is what Microsoft responded in an email:

“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 & the economy at large.” – Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

Historian Ramchandra Guha, who has opposed the government’s move saying that it was against the country’s constitution, welcomed Nadella’s statement and asked Indian IT leaders to have similar courage.

“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,” wrote Guha on the microblogging platform Twitter.

On January 11, the government notified the law that amended the Citizenship Amendment Act of 1955 that would provide Indian citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian migrants who have come to India until December 31, 2014.

People across India have protested this move saying that the CAA discriminates muslims and violates the Indian constitution.

Former Infosys board member T V Mohandas Pai, who supports the government, said that Nadella was confused and has been misled by Indian leftist academics in the US.

“Yes, he is very confused in his statement.Must be the Indian leftist academics in the US who have confused him by misinformation., @satyanadella Pl study the CAA before you comment!We respect you as @Microsoft CEO and you must not make comments to malign India!,” Pai wrote on the microblogging platform Twitter.