Is It Correct to Say “Kindly Revert”?

"Kindly revert" is completely normal and accepted in Indian and South Asian business English, where it simply means "please reply to me." But in American and British English you should avoid it, because there "revert" means "to return to a previous state" — so "kindly revert" can sound like "kindly go back to how things were."

If you work in a South Asian office, you have probably read this sentence a hundred times: "Kindly revert with your comments on the attached report." It feels polite, professional, and perfectly correct. But the moment that same email lands in the inbox of an American or British colleague, the meaning can go sideways. Understanding who your reader is decides whether "kindly revert" works or backfires.

What Does "Kindly Revert" Mean?

In South Asian offices, "kindly revert" means "please reply" or "please get back to me." The word "kindly" softens the request, and "revert" is used as a synonym for "respond." It is not used in any other sense.

So when a project manager in Mumbai writes, "Kindly revert by EOD," everyone in the local team understands: reply to this email before the end of the day. The phrase carries no hint of "going back" to anything. In this context it is a standard, polite business request, heard in daily stand-ups, client emails, and internal follow-ups across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The confusion starts only when the phrase travels outside that region.

Is "Kindly Revert" Grammatically Correct?

Here is where things get interesting. "Revert" is a real, standard English verb — but its dictionary meaning is "to return to a previous condition or state." A file can revert to an earlier version. A policy can revert to how it was. A person can revert to an old habit.

The "reply back" sense of "revert" is an Indian-English innovation. It grew up in South Asian business correspondence and spread so widely there that most speakers never learn it sounds odd elsewhere. It belongs to the same family of Indian-English business coinages as "do the needful" and "prepone" (the opposite of postpone). Locally, these phrases are fully functional and widely understood; internationally, they mark the writer as unfamiliar with standard usage.

So is "kindly revert" grammatically correct? In Indian business English, yes — it is established, consistent, and understood. In standard American or British English, the verb is being used with a meaning it does not officially have, which makes it incorrect for that audience. Correctness here depends on the dialect of your reader, not on the rules of any single dictionary.

When to Use It

• Emails within a South Asian workplace — colleagues, vendors, and clients who share the Indian-English business style will read it exactly as intended.
• Internal follow-ups in Indian companies — it is concise and polite, and everyone knows what you want: a reply.
• Teams across South Asia and the Gulf — business English in the UAE, Singapore, and Malaysia has absorbed the phrase through shared professional culture, so it usually lands fine there too.

When to Avoid It

• Writing to US, UK, or Australian contacts — they will read "revert" as "go back to a previous state," and your polite request may puzzle or amuse them.
• International job applications and cover letters — recruiters judge your command of standard English here, so stick to conventional phrasing.
• Global customer-facing content — help centers, product emails, and support replies reach readers from every English dialect; use universally understood wording.
• Academic or formal international correspondence — professors and publishers outside South Asia expect standard dictionary usage of "revert."

Better Alternatives

Pick the replacement that matches your situation. Each one says the same thing as "kindly revert," but works for every English-speaking reader.

• General email reply request → Please get back to me at your earliest convenience.
• Formal letter or proposal → I would appreciate your response at your earliest convenience.
• Quick message to a colleague → Please reply soon. / Let me know what you think.
• Following up on an earlier email → I wanted to follow up on my previous email.
• Requesting documents or data → Please send over the documents when you get a chance.
• Reminder before a deadline → Please let me know by Friday if this works for you.
• Closing an email politely → I look forward to hearing from you.
• Asking for a status update → Could you please update me on the status of this?

If you want the exact feel of "kindly revert" — polite, brief, businesslike — "Please get back to me" is the closest universal match. It means the same thing everywhere and never misfires.

Examples in Sentences

The first five are fine in a South Asian office context; the next five show how to rewrite the same ideas for an international reader.

• Kindly revert with your feedback on the draft proposal. (Mumbai office — correct in context)
• Kindly revert at your convenience; there is no rush. (Mumbai office — correct in context)
• I have shared the revised quotation. Kindly revert with your approval. (Mumbai office — correct in context)
• Kindly revert if the meeting time does not suit you. (Mumbai office — correct in context)
• The client is waiting, so kindly revert as soon as possible. (Mumbai office — correct in context)
• Original: "Kindly revert with your feedback on the draft proposal." → International version: "Please share your feedback on the draft proposal."
• Original: "Kindly revert at your convenience; there is no rush." → International version: "Please reply whenever convenient; there is no rush."
• Original: "Kindly revert with your approval." → International version: "Please confirm your approval by replying to this email."
• Original: "Kindly revert if the meeting time does not suit you." → International version: "Please let me know if the meeting time does not suit you."
• Original: "The client is waiting, so kindly revert as soon as possible." → International version: "The client is waiting, so please get back to me as soon as possible."

FAQs

Is "revert back" correct?

No — and this one is wrong in every dialect. "Revert" already means "go back to a previous state," so "revert back" is redundant, like saying "return back." If you mean "reply," say "reply" or "get back to me" instead.

What is the American equivalent of "kindly revert"?

"Please get back to me" is the closest match. For a slightly more formal tone, use "Please reply at your earliest convenience" or "I look forward to hearing from you." All three are understood everywhere.

Is "kindly revert" rude?

No. The intent is entirely polite — "kindly" is a standard politeness marker in South Asian business English, similar to how "please" works in a request. The problem is never rudeness; it is only that non–South Asian readers may misunderstand the verb.

Do British people say "kindly revert"?

Generally, no. British English shares the American dictionary meaning of "revert" (to return to a previous state), so a British reader is just as likely to be confused. The "reply" sense of the word is specific to South Asian English.

Is "kindly revert" used outside India?

Yes, in regions with strong Indian-English business influence — Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE, and parts of Southeast Asia all use it in professional emails. But the further you get from that circle, the safer it is to switch to "please reply" or "please get back to me."