Sridhar Vembu
Sridhar Vembu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation(s) | Business leader, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder and former CEO of Zoho Corporation |
| Notable work | Founder of Zoho Schools |
Sridhar Vembu (born 1968) is an Indian billionaire business leader and the founder and former CEO of Zoho Corporation.[1] As of 2024, Forbes lists him as the 39th wealthiest individual in India, with an estimated net worth of $5.85 billion.[2] In 2021, he was honored with the Padma Shri, which is India's fourth highest civilian award.[3][4]
According to the October 2024 edition of Forbes’ ranking of India's top 100 richest individuals, Vembu along with his siblings collectively hold the 51st position, with a combined fortune valued at $5.8 billion.[5]
Early life
Sridhar Vembu was born in 1968 into a Tamil Hindu family of modest means in a village located in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. He earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 1989. Subsequently, he pursued advanced studies in Electrical Engineering at Princeton University in New Jersey, where he completed both his master's and doctoral degrees.[6][7]
Career
Vembu launched his professional journey as a wireless engineer at Qualcomm based in San Diego, California, later moving to the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1996, alongside his two brothers, he established AdventNet, a company dedicated to developing software for network equipment providers. The enterprise rebranded as Zoho Corporation in 2009, redirecting its efforts toward delivering SaaS products for Customer relationship management. In 2019, Vembu relocated to Tenkasi, India. By 2020, he held an 88% ownership in Zoho, with Forbes valuing his net worth at approximately USD $2.44 billion. In 2021, he was appointed to India's National Security Advisory Board. Despite Zoho achieving unicorn status, Vembu and co-founder Tony Thomas have chosen to self-fund the company to preserve autonomy and prevent external interference.
Social entrepreneurship
Vembu is noted for shifting software development operations away from metropolitan areas to rural regions in India, by setting up Zoho branches in Mathalamparai, Tenkasi district, Tamil Nadu, and Renigunta, Andhra Pradesh. To support this effort, he relocated personally from the Bay Area to Mathalamparai.
In 2004, he established Zoho Schools to provide vocational training in software as an alternative pathway to conventional academic degrees. According to company data, 15–20% of Zoho’s engineering workforce comprises individuals without formal college qualifications who have been trained through Zoho Schools. In 2020, Vembu initiated a "rural school startup" aimed at delivering free primary education.
Political views
In October 2018, a former product marketing manager at Zoho resigned following a conflict with Vembu regarding the employee's post on the company intranet forum. The individual alleged that Vembu exhibited hostility due to criticism directed at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist paramilitary organization.
Vembu encountered criticism in January 2020 after attending an RSS event as the guest of honour. He justified his attendance as a personal decision despite facing public disapproval.
Honours
In 2019, Vembu was honored with the Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year Award" in India. He received the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth highest civilian award, in 2021. The following year, he was recognized as CNN-News18 Indian of the Year for Start-ups. Moreover, in 2021, he was appointed to serve on India's National Security Advisory Board (NSAB).
Further reading
References
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ "Forbes India Rich List 2024 - Forbes India Magazine". Forbes India. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
- ↑ "PIB Press Release: This Year's Padma Awards announced". Pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
- ↑ "Shinzo Abe, Tarun Gogoi, Ram Vilas Paswan among Padma Award winners: Complete list". The Times of India. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ↑ "India's 100 Richest". India’s 100 Richest. 9 Oct 2024.
- ↑ "Cover Story: Sridhar Vembu's Vision From The Village". Forbes India. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
- ↑ Rajasimhan, T. E. (16 March 2018). "Made in India, Taking on the World". @businessline. Retrieved 2020-10-24.