WEB DESK
Consulate General of India, Dubai organised a very special ‘In Conversation’ with one of India’s most admired innovators Mr. Sridhar Vembu founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation at India House on Feb 14, 2023.
Speaking on the occasion Sridhar Vembu said that the self-sustained model of village economy has a huge potential for a comeback and the key lies in identifying the hidden talents in rural India and significant investment on research and development .He also elaborated about the unique approach to business like ‘Transnational Globalism’ and ‘Bootstrapping’ for sustainable growth.
The Concept of Transnational Localism seeks to develop self-ufficient local communities and economies. Zoho began these efforts in India and is now expanding the initiative internationally. To this extent, Zoho founder shifted his base to Mathalamparai, a village in Thenkasi district of Tamil Nadu, and oversees the entire operations from there, the concept also means
wherever Zoho opens offices, it ensures that local languages such as Arabic are supported, that it hires locally, and that it partners with local governments and organisations. He also Chronicled the story of Zoho Schools of Learning, an alternative to traditional college degrees, and how its revolutionising the rural economy by providing much needed skills and jobs, instead of degrees. Mr Vembu also emphasised on the need of Research and Development for the rapid progress of India.’ and noted that ‘Digital India’ and ‘Startup India’ have been critical in creating a conducive environment for entrepreneurs and startups in India.
In his message to startups stressed the importance of Long term focus and vision which are key elements of sustainability.
Ambassador of India to UAE HE Sanjay Sudhir, along with Consul General of India to UAE Dr Aman Puri, felicitated Shri Sridhar Vembu on the occasion. The event was moderated by Prasar Bharati Special Correspondent in Dubai, Shri Vinod Kumar
Sridhar Vembu is an Indian entrepreneur and the co-founder of Zoho Corporation, a software development company that provides a suite of online business, productivity and collaboration tools.
Vembu was born on November 23, 1967 in Tamil Nadu, India. He obtained a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University.
In 1996, Vembu co-founded AdventNet (now Zoho Corporation) with his brothers, Kumar and Sekar, in Chennai, India. The company initially focused on network management software but later expanded into other areas, including web-based office applications, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and business process management software.
Under Vembu’s leadership, Zoho has become a successful software company with a global customer base. The company has been recognized for its innovative business model, which emphasizes low-cost, high-quality software and a customer-centric approach.