Microsoft CEO urges India to be immigrant-friendly

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella said he is hoping for an India where any immigrant can aspire to found a prosperous start-up.

Nadella's remarks came after India recently passed a citizenship law, prompting a wave of protests across the South Asian nation.

"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," Nadella said in a statement issued Monday by the company's India page on Twitter.

The CEO said he is shaped by his Indian heritage, growing up in a multicultural India and his immigrant experience in the U.S.

"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," he concluded.

India implemented a new citizenship law -- officially known as Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 -- in December, triggering mass condemnation and protests where 20 people lost their lives.

The law grants citizenship to at least six minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who migrated to India until Dec. 31, 2014. Muslims are not included in the list.