Written By: Puja Bhardwaj
Sridhar Vembu is a prominent figure and business leader in the global tech landscape. As the Founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, he is well-known for his unique ideas and revolutionary endeavours. With his distinctive approach and determination, Vembu has completely transformed how business software functions. Vembu is distinguished for pushing boundaries, overcoming obstacles and empowering businesses to flourish.
Sridhar Vembu’s Remarkable Journey
Vembu embarked on his transformational journey after a combination of academic success, entrepreneurial spirit and an unwavering commitment to creating a lasting impact on the community. He completed his graduation with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at IIT, Madras, and earned a PhD from Princeton University in the US. Later, he started his career as a teacher at the Australian National University in Canberra. But within two weeks of joining, he realised this was not what he wanted to do and decided to leave.
Finally, he decided to move back to the US and began his technology career as a wireless engineer with Qualcomm in San Diego. He worked across multiple companies and regions in the tech landscape. Throughout his career path, Vembu found that while chasing fast growth, they lost focus. Vembu had a unique idea; he aspired to build a business slowly without any outside investment. Ultimately, he ventured into entrepreneurship to make technology accessible to everyone.
The Genesis of Zoho Corporation
In 1996, Vembu, along with his brother Tony Thomas, started AdventNet in a small apartment in Chennai’s suburbs. Initially, the focus was on network management tools for business. Later, AdventNet expanded beyond the IT tools, and the company was renamed Zoho Corporation. Over the years, Zoho has grown well, serving 700,000 businesses across more than 150 nations with 100 million users.
On one side, Silicon Valley companies were spending millions with outside funding, but Zoho moved on a different path. While other companies surrendered board seats and equity for instant finance support, Vembu focused on building slowly, maintaining control over the company’s goals and values.
The most remarkable move of Vembu was when he decided to operate this billion-dollar technology company from a remote village, which is 300 miles away from the nearest town. While most tech companies work in expensive urban centres, Zoho proved that success and innovation do not need a fancy building or environment.
Vembu is dedicated to supporting SMEs’ success, as seen in Zoho’s key offerings. The company offers varied CRMs and ERP solutions, as well as tools for productivity and teamwork.
Social Contributions
Vembu is distinguished for taking the software development process from urban cities to rural villages in India. His company, Zoho, has offices in rural Mathalamparai, Tamil Nadu, and in suburban Renigunta, Andhra Pradesh.
He further established Zoho Schools in the year 2004 to offer vocational software development education to rural students as an alternative to formal education. He also announced a rural school startup in 2020, offering free primary education.
Awards and Achievements
Vembu has been honoured with the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” in 2019. He also received India’s fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, and was recognised as CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2022.
Sridhar Vembu’s Net Worth
According to the Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons, Vembu & siblings are ranked 51st with a net worth of $5.8 billion.
Vembu’s overall journey has taught different lessons – one is that innovation does not have to come from big cities. Second, when you decided to go back to your roots, you moved towards a new way of thinking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Zoho Sridhar Vembu?
Sridhar Vembu is a billionaire, entrepreneur, social innovator and founder of Zoho Corporation.
Who is the current CEO of Zoho?
Shailesh Kumar Davey is the current group CEO of Zoho Corporation. Sridhar Vembu stepped down as CEO this year to lead the company as Chief Scientist and focus on R&D and his personal development mission in the rural areas.
How much of Zoho does Sridhar Vembu have?
Co-founder Vembu and Tony Thomas hold 5% and 8% stakes, respectively, while Vembu’s sister Radha and brother own 47.8% and 35.2% of the company.
