India’s information and technology minister, Shri Ashwini Vaishnav, has recently posted about Zoho Corporation on a social media platform, and it spread like a fire in the nation. Zoho is an Indian multinational company headquartered in Chennai. It offers various digital software, including the Zoho office suite. The company was founded in 1996, and it has crossed 10+ crore users till the date. Here is its information, the government announcement, and the perspective from business opportunity.
Recently US President Donald Trump has declared 50% tariffs on India, and since then the Indian government has approached the nation to adopt made-in-India products. India’s information and technology minister Ashwini Vaishnav asked citizens to use Zoho’s office tools through his post on social media platform X. Since then the trend of the Zoho corporation has increased, and its popularity also goes on.
Zoho Corporation is an Indian multinational software company offering cloud-based solutions and its Zoho Office Suite. Here are its details, like founders, vision, foundation, its tool, and the important effect on Google Workspace and Microsoft Office.
Foundation and Early Journey of Zoho
The Zoho Corporation was founded in 1996 as AdventNet Inc. by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas in Pleasanton, California. The company started by providing network management solutions to the telecom vendors. Later it diversified into an IT firm with the launch of ManageEngine. In 2005, it launched its first productivity tool called Zoho Writer, and later AdventNet was rebranded as Zoho Corporation in 2009.
The Founders of Zoho
Shridhar Vembu graduated from IIT Madras and earned a PhD in electrical engineering from Princeton University. Tony Thomas, a co-founder of Adventnet in 1996, played a crucial role in building the early network. He is originally from Kerala, India, and has a strong technical background. The Zoho corporation grew without external funding, like other software companies.
Zoho’s Tools and Applications
Zoho offers a wide range of cloud-based software products. It has 55+ applications covering CRM, finance, HR, IT, sales, marketing, and productivity. Here are some of its tools that can be used in daily life.
1. Zoho One
An all-in-one business suite with 50+ integrated applications
2. Zoho CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
It is a customer relationship management application used to manage leads, workflow, automation, analysis, and AI predictions. The sales team uses it to track leads, close deals faster, and improve customer retention.
3. Zoho Books
Zoho Books is accounting software that includes invoicing, expense tracking, and GST compliance. Small and medium business firms use it for managing finances and taxation efficiently.
4. Zoho Writer
It is an online word processor that allows you to create, edit, and collaborate on documents in real time. It is useful for creating projects, letters, and other documents.
5. Zoho Sheet
It is a cloud spreadsheet application that allows you to manage and create spreadsheets with formulas and functions. It is suitable for budgeting, data recording, data analysis, and reporting.
6. Zoho Show
It is a presentation tool used to create and edit presentations with multimedia support. It is useful for business presentations, pitches, and training sessions.
It is not the first time the Indian government promoted and approached the adoption of made-in-India software alternatives. Union minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnav has publicly endorsed this transition by switching to Zoho’s tool for his official work, which aligns with the government’s ‘Atmnirbhar Bharat’ vision. If we really want to build our nation self-reliance, we must participate in this kind of transition and have to work in similar fields to create big brands from the country and make the nation feel proud.
