Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho Corporation and one of India’s leading tech entrepreneurs, announced on Monday that he is stepping down as the CEO to take on the role of the company’s Chief Scientist. The move signals a shift in focus toward deep research and development initiatives amid the rapidly evolving technological landscape.
In a post shared on the social media platform X, Vembu explained that given the challenges and opportunities facing the company, including significant advancements in artificial intelligence, he believed it was the right time to dedicate himself fully to R&D efforts. He also noted his continued commitment to his personal rural development mission.
The company announced that Co-founder Shailesh Kumar Davey will take over as Group CEO. Meanwhile, other leadership roles have been realigned: Co-founder Tony Thomas will lead Zoho’s U.S. operations, Rajesh Ganesan will oversee the ManageEngine division, and Mani Vembu will head the Zoho.com division.
Sridhar Vembu, who began his career as a wireless engineer with Qualcomm in California, founded AdventNet in 1996, a company initially catering to network equipment providers. In 2009, the company was rebranded as Zoho Corporation, focusing on software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, including customer relationship management services. Today, Zoho provides subscription-based software services to businesses across the globe.
Vembu, recognized as the 39th richest person in India in 2022 with a net worth of $5.85 billion, was honored with the Padma Shri in 2021 for his contributions to technology and entrepreneurship. He moved to Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, in 2019 to focus on rural development alongside his professional pursuits.
In his post, Vembu emphasized that Zoho’s future depends heavily on its ability to navigate emerging R&D challenges. He expressed enthusiasm for his new role, viewing it as a vital step toward sustaining the company’s innovation and growth.
Last year, reports surfaced indicating that Zoho was considering a foray into chip-making and had sought incentives from the government, further showcasing its ambition to push the boundaries of technology.
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