Gen Z wants directness, not deference: Karnataka leaders on changing political culture

New business data points to the fact that Politicians will have to shed old habits of address and formality if they wish to stay relevant to a generation that demands directness over deference, two Karnataka leaders stated at the Moneycontrol Startup Conclave 2026 in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Hosakote MLA and Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Chairman Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda stated adaptability was central to political survival. "One of the most resilient breeds of people are politicians. They will adapt, they will adjust, they will manipulate themselves, they will morph themselves to make sure that they stay relevant to the context of things," he stated, adding that resilience "has to be a part of your DNA if you're going to make sure you stay relevant."

Gowda pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent interactions with children as an example of the shift under way, describing it as "a very Gen Z way of speaking to children". He stated leaders could no longer afford to stay distant in their manner of engagement.

"You can't stay distant now," Gowda stated.

He additionally spoke of the fading use of formal honorifics that once prefaced references to elected officials.

"You used to start off with 'aadarniya Mukhyamantri ji' or 'aadarniya Sansad ji' or 'aadarneya Sabhapati ji'. That is gone," he stated, adding that he now had to be ready for someone to simply ask, "Hey Sharad, what have you done?"

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya used the occasion to question prevailing notions of culture and tradition. "'Bharatiyata' and Indian culture is not just adding the prefix of 'aadarneya' to somebody. There are far more important things than that," he stated, arguing that culture had been conflated with religiosity.

"Culture essentially means refinement," he stated. "Keeping our temples clean, that is culture. Keeping a metro station or bus station clean, that is culture. Turning up to a program on time is culture."

Surya stated there was a tendency to regard a person as cultured merely because of frequent religious visits, even when the same individual disregarded basic civic responsibilities.

"This guy goes to the temple three times a day, as a result he is a cultured person. But he throws garbage on the street corner, and yet we still consider this person to be a cultured person," he stated, adding that the definition of 'Bharatiyata' and culture "really need a redefinition."

The Bengaluru South MP further stated Indian society had accorded excessive deference to hierarchy and age. "There has been too much reverence for hierarchy, too much reverence for somebody just because they are senior by age," he stated, welcoming a generational shift that valued "merit, talent, and what you are actually bringing to the table" instead.

"That should have been done long ago, and it is finally happening," he stated.

Both leaders stated changing expectations among younger citizens would lead to shifts in political conduct and communication in the years ahead.