Sridhar Vembu is a famous Indian businessman and the founder of Zoho Corporation. As of October 15, 2025, he is known for building Zoho, a big software company, and for his unique style of working from Indian villages instead of big cities. This article is written to help beginners in India learn more about his life, his career, and his major achievements.
Life Life
Sridhar Vembu was born in 1968 in a small village in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. His family was middle-class, Tamil Hindu, and very traditional. His father worked as a stenographer in the Madras High Court. Life was simple in the village. Sridhar grew up learning basic values of hard work and simplicity.
In school, Sridhar was very smart. He loved studying and quickly moved ahead of his classmates. When he finished high school, he appeared for the tough IIT-JEE exam and got one of the best ranks. This helped him join the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, where he chose Electrical Engineering. After his degree in India, he went to the USA to study more. He did his MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University, New Jersey.
Sridhar Vembu Age, Wikipedia, Biography, Net Worth, Wife, Family
Career
After finishing his studies in the USA, Sridhar started his job at Qualcomm, a big tech company, in San Diego, California. He worked there as a wireless engineer. At Qualcomm, he was earning well, but he felt something was missing. He did not want just a comfortable job. He wanted to build something new, useful, and big on his own.
In 1996, with support from his brothers, Sridhar decided to leave the USA job and became an entrepreneur. He started a new company called AdventNet, which made network software for other companies. It was a tough decision because he was leaving his safe job. Sridhar worked hard, brought creative ideas, and never gave up. Over time, AdventNet grew bigger and soon changed its name to Zoho Corporation in 2009.
Zoho Corporation
Zoho is today one of the most famous technology companies from India[1][8]. The company grew without any outside investment. Sridhar believes in working independently, so he did not look for big investors. Zoho offers many software products, especially for businesses that need easy online tools for work like emails, customer management, and data storage. Zoho’s products compete with global software companies, but the company is fully Indian.
In 2019, Sridhar moved from the USA to a village called Mathalamparai in Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, India. He wanted to show that good work can happen anywhere, not only in big cities. Zoho set up offices in rural areas where young people from villages could find jobs and learn new things.
Social Impact
One of Sridhar’s biggest ideas is Zoho Schools. In 2004, he started Zoho Schools, to train village youth in software skills, even if they did not have a college degree. Many Zoho engineers learned from these schools, proving that talent is found everywhere, not just in top colleges. Today, up to twenty percent of Zoho’s engineers don’t have a formal degree but got vocational training in Zoho Schools.
He believes real education should solve practical life problems and help people earn a living. In 2020, Sridhar started another school project to offer free primary education to children in villages.
Awards And Recognition
Sridhar Vembu has won many awards for his work. In 2021, he received the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India. Forbes listed him as one of the richest people in India, ranking him at the 51st position in October 2024 with a net worth of $5.8 Billion.
His company reached great heights. Zoho now serves millions of users all over the world. Sridhar was also appointed to the National Security Advisory Board, which supports India's technology growth.
Leadership
Sridhar’s lifestyle is simple, even though he is a billionaire. He prefers working from villages and wears regular clothes. He likes helping small communities. Sridhar often says that talent is everywhere; only opportunities must be given. He is an example for young Indians who wish to achieve big goals against difficult odds.
Major News
On October 14, 2025, Sridhar Vembu again made news as he spoke about building strong Indian tech companies for data sovereignty. He keeps encouraging Indian youth and tech teams to believe in themselves, and to make good products for the country. He is always in news for his unique steps, such as operating from rural areas and helping build products like the Arattai chat app, a made-in-India alternative to WhatsApp.
Work Philosophy
Sridhar’s philosophy is simple. He believes working with purpose is more important than making money. He feels that by helping others, the business will also grow. He proves through Zoho that success can come from small places and with hard work.
He also talks about honesty in business and giving back to society. Sridhar believes that if young people are given the right education, they can transform society and solve big problems.
Conclusion
Sridhar Vembu is a role model for young people in India. His story shows that success does not come from comfort or from big cities alone. With hard work, new ideas, and social responsibility, anyone can achieve great things. Sridhar teaches everyone to believe in themselves and help others.