BANGALORE:

Kannada has to be made mandatory for everyone who

to the state. Knowing the local language will help people understand the rich local

better and therefore they can be part of the local society more meaningfully, said NR Narayana Murthy, chairman emeritus at

.

Speaking in the sidelines of the release of Upwardly Mobile, a book on cross-cultural challenges of global Indians written by

here on Saturday, Murthy said all children who join schools in the state should be taught

from Class I by schools or privately by the parents.

Earlier addressing a gathering, he said the world is becoming increasingly globalized and cultural intelligence is critical for professional and personal success of individuals.

"My experience of travelling around the world, some 22 days in a month, has exposed me to multiple cultures. I have realized that we have a lot to learn, we have to make adjustments to be with people of other culture. Thanks to rapid globalization, we don't get much time for cross-cultural interactions,'' Murthy said.

"People of all cultures share the same aspiration, vision, values, goals, but difference lies only in the way of expressing these. So it is important to adapt to various cultures without losing the roots," he added.

Author Manian said: "As Indians increasingly engage with foreigners and foreign companies, cultural intelligence is a crucial tool to succeed in doing business with people who look, dress and behave differently.''

Upwardly Mobile is designed to equip Indian managers and their expatriate colleagues with cultural intelligence.