Nithin Kamath, the founder and CEO of Zerodha, recently shared his thoughts on India’s diversity on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. His post sparked a widespread conversations among netizens as well.

His reflections on his travels in Europe, contrasted with the vast diversity he experiences back home, have garnered significant attention.

A European Journey: The “Cut, Copy, Paste” Syndrome

In a post that he shared on the platform X, Kamath expressed his observations from a recent trip across several European countries.

He noted that the countries, though distinct, seemed very similar to each other.

Kamath in his post wrote, “I recently returned from visiting several countries in Europe. Everything feels like a cut, copy, and paste with very small differences"

India - More Than Just a Country

In contrast, Kamath pointed out India’s extraordinary diversity, likening it to a continent rather than a single country. He noted that India’s variety of languages, cultures, and food is so vast that even within one state, the differences are often striking.

“In contrast, India is more like a continent than a country. The diversity in terms of languages, food, culture, etc., between the 28 states and within each state is nuts,” said Kamath. “Every time I think of this, I am amazed at how the country actually came together,” he added.

A Reflection from 2023 - India as “Many Countries in One”

This isn’t the first time Kamath has said on India’s unique identity. Back in August 2023, he shared another post about the complexity of India’s diversity, where he argued that the nation functions almost like "many countries in one."

“I guess the right way to think of this is, India is many countries in one. What works in one state or region may not work in another,” Kamath wrote.

“India has 140 crore people, and if X% can become customers because of Y% in a developed country, is a dangerous line of thinking for founders and investors,” he added.

Netizens Weigh In - Agreement and Reflection

Kamath’s post resonated with many social media users who agreed with his take on India’s unparalleled diversity.

"Despite being considered a single nation, India is home to many ethnic groups, each with unique customs and traditions, leading to huge cultural variations even within a single state. India has over 120 languages and 19,500 dialects spoken across the country," one user wrote in response to Kamath’s post.

Another netizen added, "The core reason for this is the philosophy of 'ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti' i.e., wise men refer to the same truth in multiple ways. This is what allows us to accept a variety of lifestyles, cultures, gods, etc. We see a change every 50 kms. No theological standardization."