Sridhar Vembu is a standout figure in the world of tech business. He’s the founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, known for his fresh ideas and bold moves. Vembu’s way of doing things is different, shaking up how business software works. He’s all about pushing boundaries, bouncing back from setbacks, and helping businesses worldwide thrive.
Back in 1996, Vembu and his siblings started AdventNet, which later became Zoho Corporation. They didn’t have much money, but they had big dreams to change the game in enterprise software. Over time, from a small office in Chennai, their company grew into a big deal, serving millions worldwide.
As Zoho keeps innovating and challenging the norm, Vembu’s reputation as a forward-thinking leader is solid. His journey from a small-town entrepreneur to a global influencer shows how determination, new ideas, and aiming for excellence pay off.
In a world hungry for genuine leadership and real progress, Sridhar Vembu shines as a prime example of what can happen when passion, purpose, and values come together just right.
In this StartupTalky story, let us learn about Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu’s success story, early life and childhood, life history, personal life, education, philanthropy, controversies, and more.
Born in 1968 in a village in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India, Vembu’s path to becoming a tech leader is marked by a mix of academic success, entrepreneurial drive, and a strong commitment to making a positive impact on society. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and getting a Ph.D. from Princeton University, Vembu stepped into entrepreneurship with a clear goal of making technology accessible to all.
Sridhar Vembu has a son with special needs, with Pramila Srinivasan.
Sridhar Vembu – Early Life
The Zoho founder earned his Ph.D. and took up a teaching position in Australia. He went there but returned after just two weeks, quitting the job. His career began at Qualcomm in 1994 in San Diego, California, before he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Before starting AdventNet, Sridhar worked as a wireless systems engineer at Qualcomm, Inc., where he had the chance to collaborate with top experts in wireless communications.
Sridhar Vembu – Career
Vembu is dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) succeed, as seen in Zoho’s range of products. They offer everything from customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to tools for productivity and teamwork. Zoho makes sure these solutions are affordable, customizable, and easy to use, making top-notch software accessible to all businesses, regardless of size.
Furthermore, Vembu’s belief in “Zoho as a platform” emphasizes his desire to create a space for innovation and teamwork. With Zoho’s platform approach, which brings together different business applications seamlessly, Vembu aims to make workflows smoother, boost productivity, and help companies in various sectors embrace digital change.
Zoho founder Vembu, shared his thoughts on the real-world impact of AI on jobs in a recent post on X. In a post on X on 26 April, 2025, Vembu highlighted that despite vendors promising significant cost savings by replacing jobs with AI, the actual impact on the labor market has been “small” so far. He emphasized the need to stay cautious about the gap between hype and reality when assessing new technologies. While acknowledging that AI is progressing quickly, Vembu noted that its real effect on employment remains limited at this point. “The field is advancing fast, and I personally believe it will have an impact, but we haven’t seen it yet. It’s always wise to distinguish between hype and reality when evaluating any technology,” he wrote.
Vendors are promising large savings from eliminating jobs using AI but according to the study linked below [at least so far] the labor market impact of AI is “small”.
The field is moving fast and I personally believe there will be impact but we have not seen the impact yet. It…
Sridhar Vembu’s leadership at Zoho stands out for its ethical values and long-term focus, prioritizing sustainable growth, customer satisfaction, and employee well-being. He believes success should be measured not just financially but also by societal impact.
Despite his impressive achievements, Vembu remains humble, crediting Zoho’s success to teamwork and shared values rather than individual brilliance. Zoho, under his guidance, has seen significant financial growth, with a net profit of INR 2,836 Cr in FY23, a 3.2% increase from its previous year.
Zoho’s user base surpassed 10 crores in 2023. The company emphasizes increasing research and development spending to strengthen its technology foundation.
Zoho Financials
With over 55 apps and more than 15,000 employees, Zoho’s clients include major companies like Netflix, L’Oréal, and PayPal. In FY23, Zoho’s operating revenue grew nearly 30%, surpassing INR 2,800 crore in profits, and its total revenue reached INR 8,703.6 crore.
Geographically, North America leads with INR 3,988.8 crore in revenue, followed by Europe, Asia, and Latin America. While Zoho’s profits increased to INR 2,836 crore in FY23, its cash inflows from operations declined by 9% due to rising expenses.
Sridhar Vembu – Zoho
Vembu’s leadership stands out for his focus on self-sufficiency and simplicity. While many in Silicon Valley seek large amounts of venture capital, Vembu chose a different path for Zoho, preferring to grow the company using its profits. This choice helped Zoho keep control over its direction and adapt well to economic changes and market ups and downs.
In May 2022, Zoho put $2.5 million into Genrobotics, a startup focused on ending manual scavenging with innovative solutions.
Sridhar Vembu – Philanthropy
Apart from his business achievements, Vembu strongly supports social entrepreneurship and development in rural areas. His projects, like Zoho Schools of Learning and Zoho Rural Schools Program, show his dedication to using technology to uplift society and close the digital gap. Through education, training, and job opportunities for underprivileged communities, Vembu not only changes lives but also nurtures future talent.
Vembu also sponsors a school for rural children in southern Tamil Nadu and operates Zoho University, providing training for students who finished 12th grade and have specific math and tech skills.
Sridhar Vembu – Controversies
Sridhar Vembu responded to a post on X on November 15, 2024, stating that people who live in Bengaluru should learn to speak Kannada. He mentioned that not speaking the local language is disrespectful. This comment received mixed reactions from social media users.
I agree with this sentiment. If you make Bengaluru your home, you should learn Kannada and your kids should learn Kannada.
Not doing so after living many years in Bengaluru is disrespectful.
I often request our employees in Chennai coming from other states to make an effort to… https://t.co/1cIQ47FMjn
Sridhar Vembu’s wife, Pramila Srinivasan, accused him of transferring company shares to family members without her approval. Vembu denied these claims on Twitter, stating he didn’t neglect his family financially or transfer shares. The couple has been going through a divorce in a California court since August 2021.
In January 2020, Vembu faced criticism for attending an event organized by the RSS as the guest of honor. He defended his participation, stating it was his personal decision.
In October 2018, a former Zoho product marketing manager resigned after a disagreement with Vembu regarding a post on the company’s internal discussion forum. The employee claimed Vembu was hostile towards him for criticizing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization.
Sridhar Vembu – Awards and Recognitions
Sridhar Vembu – Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Vembu received the 2019 Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” in India.
He was also honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2021.
Furthermore, in 2021, he was appointed to India’s National Security Advisory Board (NSAB).
Additionally, he was named the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in 2022.
FAQs
Who is Sridhar Vembu?
Sridhar Vembu is the founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation.
When was Sridhar Vembu born?
Sridhar Vembu was born in 1968 in a village in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.
What is Zoho Corporation?
Zoho Corporation, an Indian multinational technology is a renowned provider of computer software and web-based business tools.
What is the net worth of Sridhar Vembu?
As per Forbes, the net worth of Sridhar Vembu is $5.85 billion.
Where is Sridhar Vembu native place or birthplace?
Sridhar Vembu was born in a village in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.
What is Sridhar Vembu education?
Sridhar Vembu holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. He also earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University.
Who are Sridhar Vembu children?
Sridhar Vembu has a son with special needs, with Pramila Srinivasan in his family.
In the ever-changing and dynamic field of technology, many multinational corporations set the standard for developing web-based business tools and computer software. Leading organizations in an ever-changing sector, they are experts in creating novel approaches to solve present-day business problems, foresee requirements in the future, and identify chances for long-term expansion.
Their aim is centered on the transformative potential of software, which they see as an expression of intelligence and expertise that advances businesses.
A notable participant in the tech sector, Zoho Corporation, is one such example in this field. Zoho, which was founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, has grown to become a major global player. Its headquarters are situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, while its corporate headquarters are located in Del Valle, Texas.
In this article, we will delve into the successful journey of Zoho, its startup story, history, business model, revenue model, funding, financials, growth, competitors, and more.
Zoho Corporation, an Indian multinational technology company founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, is a renowned provider of computer software and web-based business tools. With headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, and corporate headquarters in Del Valle, Texas, the company is well-known worldwide for its Zoho Office Suite. With its wide range of innovative productivity tools, Zoho is a leading force in the IT industry.
Zoho – Industry
According to the insightful analysis provided by Statista, By 2025, the revenue in this market segment is expected to reach US$740.89 billion. Additionally, the software market is projected to grow at a steady annual rate of 4.87% from 2025 to 2029.
Zoho was founded by Sridhar Vembu (Co-Founder and CEO) and Tony Thomas in 1996. However, the company was not famous as Zoho but as AdventNet (1996-2009) back then.
Sridhar Vembu
Sridhar Vembu, Co-Founder and CEO of Zoho
Zoho Co-Founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu comes from a humble background. Sridhar was born as a farmer in a small village outside Thanjavur, but his dreams were big! He dreamt of studying in an IIT and then moving to the US, and he successfully seized his dreams.
Sridhar studied in a Tamil Medium Government School till the 10th standard and completed his graduation from IIT Madras in 1989. Sridhar eventually received a scholarship to pursue his Masters and Ph.D. in Electrical engineering from Princeton University in New Jersey. The founder of Zoho got his doctorate degree and opted for a professorship in Australia. He moved to Australia, but after 2 weeks, he came back, resigning from the job.
He started his career at Qualcomm in 1994. Two years later, in 1996, he kickstarted his own venture, AdventNet, with Tony Thomas, who is also an IIT Madras graduate and was an old friend of Sridhar. It was Tony, who wrote a rough draft of networking software and needed help to sell it when Sridhar joined him as the Chief Evangelist to form AdventNet, which later came to be known as Zoho in 2009.
Sridhar Vembu was awarded the Padma Shri, on the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day (2021). Sridhar is the 59th richest man in India, according to Forbes 2020. However, the founder billionaire, is known for his modest attitude and often loves to go barefoot. Sridhar once said in an interview, “I live fairly simply, I hate wearing shoes. If I can avoid it, I do.”
A moment of great honor and pride—the Government of India has bestowed the prestigious Padma Shri on our CEO, @svembu!
Zoho Co-Founder Tony Thomas worked at Bell Labs, before founding AdventNet. Sridhar and Tony both had similar interests in business and technology which led them to build their massive venture.
The amazing tale of Sridhar Vembu’s startup starts with his modest upbringing in a Tamil Nadu middle class family. He worked for two years at Qualcomm in San Diego after earning his degree in electrical engineering from IIT Madras in 1989 and going on to pursue a Ph.D. in the United States.
Many were shocked when Sridhar decided to bravely return to India despite the comforts of his life in the US. Driven by a visionary mindset, he and his brother co-founded AdventNet, a software development company, in 1996. Later on in 2009, this endeavor developed into the well-known Zoho Corporation.
Zoho’s mission is “empowering small businesses and startups, simplifying customer operations, and creating ever-lasting customer relationships.”
Zoho’s vision is to create superior software to solve all business problems. The company’s investment is more in developing its products and customer support than in focusing on sales and marketing.
Zoho – Name, Tagline, and Logo
Zoho Logo
The name ‘Zoho’ was the result of the abbreviation “Small Office/Home Office SOHO,” says founder Sridhar Vembu.
Zoho – Products and Services
Zoho Corporation has been divided into the following divisions –
Zoho.com – This division offers products related to Online business, and productivity and collaboration applications.
Qntrl – Qntrl’s streamlined workflow orchestration platform redefines operational efficiency by making it simple for organizations to create, automate, and analyze their business processes.
Trainer Central – Enhancing training capabilities, TrainerCentral makes it easy to build and offer captivating online courses as well as conduct live workshops for learners who are located remotely.
Zoho offers over 55 products.
Zoho CRM – Released in 2005. Zoho CRM (customer relationship management software) is being used by over 250,000 businesses. Zoho CRM India helps businesses manage their sales, marketing, and customer service activities all from a single platform.
Zoho Writer – This is a cloud-based word processor. Zoho writer allows one to create documents and collaborate with the team members in real-time.
Zoho Sheet, Zoho Creator, Zoho Show, Zoho Meeting, and Zoho Docs are some other popular products by Zoho.
Zoho eventually propelled in almost every sector of sales, finance, communication, and marketing. The company brought in a greater digital transformation with more than 50 million users in 2019, and introduced ‘Zoho Remotely’, a toolkit to expedite work-from-home.
Zoho – Business Model
Zoho’s unique business model emphasizes its dedication to high-quality products by focusing on “Marketing via Engineering.” Using a “freemium” concept, customers can register for no cost and select premium upgrades as needed. Zoho prioritizes product quality, believing that powerful goods should be able to speak for themselves and only allocating low budget to marketing.
Zoho even boldly disrupted Salesforce’s global user conference in 2013 by trolling them, which helped drive the company’s annual growth to an astounding 35%. From its humble beginnings in a modest flat in Chennai, Zoho has grown into one of the top suppliers of web-based business solutions, providing a feature-rich cloud platform for smooth corporate operations.
Zoho – Revenue Model
Zoho makes revenue from different resources. Some of the most prominent ones are listed below:
Software Product Licensing: Zoho makes money by selling licenses for a wide variety of software packages that meet different company requirements.
Consulting Services: As part of its revenue model, Zoho provides clients with extra value by making sure their software investments are used to their full potential.
Software Maintenance: Zoho generates income by providing clients with continuous software maintenance services, which guarantee that their products receive frequent updates, patches, and additions.
Sales of Cloud Software Suite Licenses: Zoho’s cloud software suite, which provides a vast array of tools and applications for enterprises, is a major source of income.
Software Subscription Price: As part of its business strategy, Zoho charges users a subscription price to access its software, which grants them access to additional features and services.
While many businesses had difficulties in the wake of the tech bubble crash in 2001, Zoho Corporation’s experience stood out. Amidst the repercussions, Zoho, a company in the B2B space, faced a lack of customers. The creators used a novel strategy in response to these difficulties by emphasizing research and development, which resulted in the development of the ground-breaking product ManageEngine.
Simultaneously, efforts were focused on improving marketing and sales strategies. By overcoming these challenges, Zoho not only resolved its immediate business issues but also distinguished itself from other companies suffering from the recession and became a dominant force in the market.
Zoho – Funding and Investors
Zoho is one of those companies that is bootstrapped yet successful. Zoho has not raised any funding to date.
Zoho – Shareholding
Zoho’s shareholding pattern as of March 2023, sourced from Tracxn:
Zoho Shareholders
Percentage
Radha Vembu
47.8%
Sekhar Vembu
35.2%
Tony G Thomas
8.0%
Sridhar Vembu
5.0%
Shailesh Kumar Davey
3.0%
Sreenivas Kanumuru
1.0%
Total
100%
Zoho Shareholding
Zoho – Investments
Zoho has invested in 9 companies to date.
Below are the details of the investments made by Zoho:
Date
Funding Round
Amount Invested
Organization
May 25, 2022
Corporate Round
Rs 20 crore
GenRobotic
May 8, 2022
Non Equity Assistance
Rs 186K
Presear Softwares PVT LTD
December 9, 2021
Series C
$15 million
Ultraviolette Automotive
September 7, 2021
Series A
$5 million
Voxelgrids
May 30, 2020
Seed Round
–
Boson Motors
December 20, 2016
Seed Round
$516K
Zentron Labs
September 8, 2016
Series C
$6.2 million
Zenedge
November 24, 2014
Corporate Round
–
Zentron Labs
January 31, 2013
Seed Round
$524K
Zentron Labs
Exits
Zoho has exited from two companies: GenRobotic and Zenedge.
Zoho – Acquisitions
Zoho has acquired one company to date. ePoise is the maiden company that Zoho acquired on March 7, 2019.
Zoho – Growth
Zoho’s noteworthy growth milestones are:
It had served 150+ countries as of January 2024.
It has 14 data centers as of January 2024.
The company has 100 million+ users as of January 2024.
It has 55+ products as of January 2024.
The company has installed a 5 MW solar energy farm in India to supply electricity to the data centers and offices. They are able to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by almost 7,200 tons, which is the same as planting 14,400 trees as of January 2024.
Zoho Founder Mr. Sridhar Vembu is revered as an inspiration among the entrepreneurs of the nation and has been conferred with a Padma Shri in 2021.
Zoho – Financials
Zoho has seen strong revenue and profit growth over the last few years. Revenue increased significantly, and profit margins improved despite rising expenses.
Particulars
FY23
FY22
FY21
FY20
Revenue
INR 9,158.9 crore
INR 6,998.8 crore
INR 5,442.4 crore
4,386.0
Expenses
INR 5,392.8 crore
INR 3,571.7 crore
INR 3,024.2 crore
INR 3,369.7 crore
Profit/Loss
INR 2,846.9 crore
INR 2,747.3 crore
INR 1,917.7 crore
INR 800.9 crore
Zoho Financials
Revenue grew from INR 6,998.8 crore in FY22 to INR 9,158.9 crore in FY23. Profit also rose from INR 2,747.3 crore to INR 2,846.9 crore despite an increase in expenses.
Zoho Revenue Breakdown:
Revenue Source
FY23
FY22
Revenue from operations
INR 8,703.6 crore
INR 6,710.8 crore
Other income
INR 455.3 crore
INR 288.0 crore
Total Revenue
INR 9,158.9 crore
INR 6,998.8 crore
Revenue from operations grew by INR 1,992.8 crore, while other income saw a rise of INR 167.3 crore.
Zoho Profit/Loss Breakdown:
Profit Type
FY23
FY22
Gross Profit
INR 3,766.1 crore
INR 3,427.1 crore
Operating Profit
INR 3,766.1 crore
INR 3,425.7 crore
Net Profit/Loss
INR 2,846.9 crore
INR 2,747.3 crore
Net profit increased from INR 2,747.3 crore in FY22 to INR 2,846.9 crore in FY23, reflecting stable profitability.
Zoho Expenses Breakdown:
Expense Type
FY23
FY22
Employee Benefits
INR 2,721.6 crore
INR 1,826.8 crore
Finance Costs
INR 1.7 crore
INR 10.2 crore
Amortization & Depreciation
INR 312.8 crore
INR 277.3 crore
Other Expenses
INR 2,356.6 crore
INR 1,457.4 crore
Total Expenses
INR 5,392.8 crore
INR 3,571.7 crore
Expenses increased by INR 1,821.1 crore, primarily due to a rise in employee benefits and other expenses.
It won the Leader in CRM Software Awards, Crozdesk (2021).
Featured Clients: CRM Software Market Leader (2021).
Top-Rated CRM Software: TrustRadius (2021).
It won the Expert’s Choice Award for Finances Online (2021).
GetApp: Top Rated Apps for Sales Forecasting (2021).
Zoho – Competitors
Major competitors of Zoho include,
Freshworks– Provides SaaS products for IT, customer service, sales, marketing, and HR.
Salesforce – Salesforce’s products include sales cloud, service cloud, marketing cloud, commerce cloud, and community cloud.
Oracle – Oracle has developed many products to meet the need of various industries. Oracle’s products include applications, databases, operating systems, and cloud services.
Pipedrive – Offers a fully customizable, visual sales CRM that is suitable for every sales team big or small.
HubSpot – HubSpot’s products include marketing software, Sales CRM, customer service software, and content management software.
QuickBase – Like Zoho, QuickBase also offers a wide range of services, including supply chain management, CRM and sales management, project management, and training management.
Zoho’s co-founder and CEO, Sridhar Vembu, provided YourStory with an interview in September 2024, that revealed the company’s ambitious future goals and highlighted its extensive R&D efforts. Zoho Corporation plans to set up data centers in every country across the globe by the end of this decade, according to CEO Sridhar Vembu. Vembu described Zoho’s early involvement in a number of projects, including collaborations, investments, and self-initiated initiatives.
Zoho Corporation, an Indian software company, plans to grow by expanding data centers, AI, global reach, chipmaking, and sustainability efforts. It aims to set up data centers in almost every country by 2030, ensuring better service for customers. Zoho is also investing in AI to improve operations, warehouse management, and customer support. As part of its global expansion, the company plans to enter markets like the Middle East, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico, while also reaching rural areas in India and adapting products to local needs. Additionally, Zoho is venturing into chipmaking, focusing on specialized semiconductors and seeking government support for a fabrication plant. Committed to sustainability, Zoho is working on reducing its environmental impact and contributing to community development.
Yes. Zoho is an Indian company headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Who is Sridhar Vembu?
Sridhar Vembu is the Founder of Zoho. He was awarded the Padma Shri, on the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day (2021).
What is Zoho company?
Zoho is a SaaS company that offers online software, including e-mail, word processors, spreadsheets, wikis, and even customer relationship management. It is the Zoho mail company that functions diversely as a CRM and a suite.
Which companies use Zoho?
IIFL, SpiceJet, Deloitte, KPMG, and Amazon India are the top companies that use Zoho CRM.
Where is the Zoho Corporation headquarters?
The Zoho Corporation headquarters are listed in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
What is the Zoho Corporation Chennai Address?
If you are wondering about the ZOHO Corporation Chennai address, then the research and development campus is located in Estancia IT Park, Chennai, whereas the product Zoho Desk was built and launched at the Zoho office at Tenkasi.
What is Zoho business model?
Zoho follows a bootstrapped SaaS business model. It offers a suite of cloud-based software for businesses, including CRM, collaboration, finance, and IT tools. Revenue comes from subscription fees, with a focus on affordability and no external funding. It targets small to large enterprises worldwide.
How does Zoho make money?
Zoho makes money through subscription fees for its cloud-based business software, including CRM, finance, and IT tools. It follows a freemium model, offering free basic plans and charging for premium features.
How Zoho started?
Zoho was started in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas as AdventNet, focusing on network management software. In 2009, it rebranded to Zoho and shifted to cloud-based business software. It grew without external funding, focusing on affordable SaaS solutions.
Why Zoho is so successful?
Zoho’s success comes from its bootstrapped growth, maintaining full control without external funding. Its affordable SaaS model offers high-value business software at low costs, while a diverse product suite covers CRM, finance, and IT needs. A strong focus on in-house R&D drives innovation, and its global reach serves businesses of all sizes. Additionally, Zoho prioritizes an employee-centric culture, investing in talent and training. Its strategy of self-reliance, affordability, and innovation ensures sustained growth.
What is Zoho revenue?
Revenue of Zoho Corporation grew from INR 6,998.8 crore in FY22 to INR 9,158.9 crore in FY23. Profit also rose from INR 2,747.3 crore to INR 2,846.9 crore despite an increase in expenses.
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