How Sridhar Vembu Transformed Rural India with Zoho: Inspiring Success Story from Tenkasi
Discover the inspiring journey of Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho Corporation, who built a billion-dollar tech company from a small village in Tenkasi. Learn how his rural development initiatives and innovative leadership earned him the Padma Shri award.
Zoho Corporation, a leading software development company, operates from a small village in Tenkasi.
Zoho Corporation
Zoho Corporation is a prominent name in the software development industry. Its founder, Sridhar Vembu, has become a significant figure in the business world. He worked hard to study abroad and secure a private-sector job but later returned to India to establish his own software empire.
While most people migrate from villages to cities and then to foreign countries seeking better opportunities, Sridhar Vembu broke this trend. He departed from the United States and moved back to a small village in Tamil Nadu, where he currently operates his billion-dollar enterprise.
Though Zoho’s headquarters is in Chennai, Sridhar Vembu set up a satellite office in Mathalamparai, a remote village near Tenkasi, about 630 kilometers away. Through this initiative, he not only expanded his company but also fostered community development and transformed rural areas. This contribution earned him the prestigious Padma Shri award on India’s 72nd Republic Day.
In an interview, he mentioned that the idea emerged when he started hiring employees from outside Chennai. Seeking a small town with basic amenities, Tenkasi seemed the perfect choice. Initially, he rented a small office there and later purchased an old factory in Mathalamparai, converting it into a technology campus.
Following this, he launched the Zoho School of Learning, where high school and diploma students receive training in various skills, empowering local youth and uplifting the community.
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