Non-Kannadiga creator making Kannada accessible to all... in style

Meet Sakshi Baid, the 23-year-old creator behind ‘Morethankannadagottila’. With over 392k followers, her story is a powerful 
lesson in turning a personal challenge into a public good, proving that language is a tool for connection and belonging 

Bengaluru: Moving to a new city can feel like stepping into an unfamiliar world. But for Sakshi Baid, a 23-year-old content creator behind the popular handle Morethankannadagottila, it became an opportunity to embrace a new language. Originally from Mumbai, Sakshi moved to Bengaluru three years ago to pursue her engineering degree. What began as a personal attempt to pick up Kannada soon transformed into a larger mission: making the language accessible to others like her. Through her platform, Sakshi has grown into a much-loved online teacher. She uses everyday moments, chatting with autorickshaw drivers or buying something from a shop, to turn language learning into something practical and fun.  Her content is not just about words; it’s about breaking barriers, fostering connection, and helping newcomers feel at home in Karnataka.

The turning point
“When I first moved here, I came across this issue of not being able to gel with people because I didn’t know the regional language. It struck me, why not learn the language? If I’m facing this difficulty, I’m sure many others are going through the same thing.” That realisation led her to start Morethankannadagottila. She started her page in February 2024, and the growth and response since then have been phenomenal. Today, she has over 392,000 followers.  “It’s a big thing for someone who doesn’t create content in lifestyle or fashion, the categories that usually go viral,” she said, remembering her first video, a simple explainer on Kannada’s usage and dialects.  “What if I get backlash? What if I look cringe? What if people don’t like it?” Initially, she shared it with a few friends. But the response was overwhelming.

Guide to learning Kannada
Sakshi described her first steps in learning Kannada as organic. “The first layer of learning was through the people around me,” she said. Already multilingual with six languages, she had never shied away from learning another language, but the lack of resources made it tough. Her Friends often struggled to teach her. “It’s like knowing Hindi; you can speak it, but explaining grammar is tough. My friends told me to just remember phrases, but I didn’t want to mug it up simply,” she recalled. She turned to books and online resources, though written Kannada felt too formal. “Written Kannada is like Shakespeare English, while spoken Kannada is like everyday English. That difference made it tough,” she said. Determined, she bought 10 to 15 books, studied on her own, and asked friends for help with pronunciation. “I’m not fluent yet, but I can listen and understand much better now,” she admitted.

Venture ahead
“I’m not working at the moment, and I wouldn’t call myself a full-time content creator,” she explained. Instead, she is focusing on an Ed-tech venture based on her content. “I’m trying to convert this into a proper course,” she said. She has now designed a paid Level 1 course that teaches foundation-level Kannada, including vocabulary, self-introductions, and numbers. “This is what I’m focusing on full time right now,” she added.

The real success
Sakshi has also achieved personal milestones. “I’ve been on TEDx. I’ve spoken there twice,” she said. “That was something I always wanted to do. Irrespective of being a creator or not, it was a childhood dream for me.” Her audience falls into two groups. “The first are non-Kannadigas, mostly in Bengaluru, but also outside Karnataka and abroad,” she said, including NRIs who want to connect with family. The second group is native Kannadigas. “They’re pro-Kannada and always supportive. If I make a mistake in a reel, they correct me with love. They never asked for anything in return, just happy I was doing this for their community.”

Small steps, big impacts
Sakshi is selective about brand collaborations. “My page is focused on languages, but the brands that approach me are quite general. I choose partners based on purpose rather than size or niche,” she said. She has worked with Namma Yatri, Bengaluru FC, Tummoc, Black & Decker, Spoyl by Flipkart, and startups such as Coopsee.When asked for advice for aspiring content creators, Sakshi keeps it simple: “Start. Don’t overthink. Don’t worry about cameras or backgrounds. You can make even a simple setup look great. Just start, and everything else will follow.” Through her online initiatives, Sakshi has created a space where learners from anywhere can engage, practice, and celebrate Kannada. Turning digital classrooms into communities that bridge cultures and backgrounds.