Zoho Founder Sridhar Vembu Tries Vada Pav for the First Time

Friday, Apr 25, 2025 6:23 am ET1min read

Indian billionaire Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho, recently tried vada pav for the first time in Mumbai. He posted a picture of himself holding the snack and expressed his surprise at having missed it all his life. The post went viral with many users recommending good places to try vada pav in Mumbai and suggesting other popular street foods to try. Several influential people have previously expressed their love for vada pav, including Bryan Adams and Tim Cook.

Indian billionaire and Zoho Corporation co-founder Sridhar Vembu recently shared a candid moment on social media, revealing that he had never tasted Mumbai's iconic vada pav until now. The post, shared on X (formerly Twitter), showed Vembu holding the snack and expressing his surprise at having missed it all his life. The post quickly went viral, with many users recommending good places to try vada pav in Mumbai and suggesting other popular street foods to try.

Vembu, worth over ₹50,000 crore according to Forbes' India rich list, admitted that it took him until now to sample the humble potato fritter sandwich. This revelation highlights that even the world's wealthiest can miss life's simplest pleasures. Vembu's late-blooming vada pav romance places him in illustrious company, joining other high-profile fans like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Mukesh Ambani who have previously expressed their love for the snack.

Vada pav is more than just street food for many Mumbaikars; it is a cultural institution and a badge of local identity. The snack consists of a soft, butter-toasted pav cradling a golden, gram-flour-coated potato fritter, punctuated by fiery garlic chutney, cooling green chutney, and tangy tamarind sauce. Despite its humble origins, vada pav has gained universal appeal among influential people, transcending wealth and status.

Vembu's decision to sample vada pav at a modest stall rather than an upscale restaurant underscores his ethos of grounded success. By openly marveling at a snack that costs less than 0.00004 percent of his net worth, Vembu reminds us that wealth need not fence us off from everyday joys. This humble triumph serves as a reminder that no matter how high one climbs, they can always come back down to earth, one ₹20 bite at a time.

References:

[1] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/even-rs-50000crore-man-sridhar-vembu-has-regrets-and-its-over-a-rs-20-snack/articleshow/120590593.cms

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