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India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
AI is not replacing our IT engineers, it is making them more productive: Zoho CEO
In the middle of chatter about AI replacing jobs in the tech sector, there is one company that is sounding a note of optimism for software engineers. This one is Zoho. When asked if AI can replace engineers at Zoho, the company CEO Mani Vembu says that the answer for now is No. That is because even though Vembu sees productivity gains coming from AI tools he doesn't believe that AI can replace engineers and software developers at his company. advertisementIn a conversation with India Today Tech, Zoho CEO Mani Vembu clarified that job cuts due to AI are not on the horizon at Zoho because it is not yet capable enough. 'If you ask the (AI) system to summarise a deal or generate content, it can do that pretty well. But replacing someone's role entirely? I don't think AI is ready for that yet,' he to emphasise his points, the Zoho CEO adds, 'To be clear, we haven't reduced any headcount due to AI. In fact, we are planning to hire more support engineers because our support volumes are increasing.' Vembu made his comments at Zoholics in Bangalore recently. At the event Zoho unveiled its very own large language model (LLM) called Zia. This new AI model is pitched as India's first enterprise-focused, home-grown AI system. While it's not meant for the general public, the model is pitched to businesses and it comes integrated with Zoho's productivity and enterprise platforms. Available in three parameter sizes (1.3B, 2.6B, and 7B), the LLM is designed to handle tasks like structured data extraction, summarisation, and prompt-based is becoming part of the workflowVembu believes that AI can be an enabler at work, helping employees do more. But it is not capable enough to do the entire A-Z of tasks. 'So far (at Zoho) we definitely haven't seen AI replacing employees,' he says. 'What we are seeing instead is that it's (helping) some of the roles. For instance, say a support rep typically handles 20 tickets a day, can we help them manage 25 instead? That's a 20 per cent productivity increase.'This is a point further explained by Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, director of AI at Zoho, in an exclusive conversation with India Today Tech. He says that Zoho not only uses the AI tools internally before releasing them to its customers, the company is also finding that productivity gains due to AI are real. 'We dogfood all the AI projects that we are about to launch,' says Ramamoorthy. 'A lot of impactful areas are in summarisation or finding relevant information. For example at Zoho, a new recruit comes in and wants to find out which form to fill for a night care request. Previously, you'd have to ask somebody or your boss. Now, we have (internal) HRMS products with these bots that can guide them.'advertisementAccording to Zoho, a similar impact is also being seen in customer-facing roles. 'Even for a salesperson, aggregating information across the system is crucial. This is where we see the most impact,' says asked if AI had in any way impacted Zoho's hiring practices, Ramamoorthy categorically says no. 'For Zoho, not yet,' he says, and highlights that the company continues to hire actively and sees AI as a tool for augmentation, not challenges remain for Indian companiesWhile AI is helping Zoho to grow its business and make employees more productive, the company admits that Indian tech firms still face big challenges in building advanced AI systems such as Zia. Though impressive, in its capabilities Zia does not seem comparable to the likes of ChatGPT or Gemini. Ramamoorthy shares that for Indian companies like Zoho there are mostly three major challenges in the AI space: compute, data, and expectation management.'The first challenge is compute. It's an expensive affair, and even if you put the dollars on the table, there's a six-month lead time to it. And then there are import caps (on GPUs) for countries like India,' says Ramamoorthy. 'The second is the availability of data. Consumer AI models work on consumer data, which is abundant. But in the enterprise, you can't replicate that because businesses can't just give away sensitive information. The third challenge is the over-hyping of technology. It's not artificial, it's not intelligence. Managing expectations is just as critical.' - Ends
NDTV
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Zoho Founder Reveals Skills Children Should Learn To Excel In Life
Zoho's founder Sridhar Vembu believes that children should learn certain skills to excel in life, beyond just academic excellence. Vembu emphasised the importance of skills like art, music, poetry, sports and cooking. According to him, these skills help develop pattern recognition, creativity, balance and critical thinking. Pure mathematics, carnatic music, bharatanatyam, classical art, sculpture, chess or go, mridangam, classical poetry, fine cooking - what is common to all of them? (apart from the fact that I am not good in any of them 😁, at least I get to appreciate some of them) We need… — Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) July 22, 2025 Also Read | Influencer Goes For A Swim In Her "Favourite Spot" In Cape Town, It Turns Out To Be Sewage Water In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vembu wrote, "Pure mathematics, carnatic music, bharatanatyam, classical art, sculpture, chess or go, mridangam, classical poetry, fine cooking - what is common to all of them?" "We need children to have a decent exposure to these at a young age - not because we expect them to grow up to be brilliant mathematicians or world class chess players or world class chefs but because an exposure to these help them to be good at whatever they end up doing." Vembu stated that by exposure, he doesn't mean competitive pressure. Exposure to art and sculpture can help someone become a great architect, he added. He stressed that exposure to these skills is more important than becoming an expert, as it can help children become well-rounded individuals. His approach focuses on nurturing curious, sensitive and well-rounded individuals. According to him, these foundational skills can quietly enhance how children think, create and solve problems, regardless of their future paths. Internet reacts to the post The post revived massive traction, users praising his thoughts. "Foster CURIOSITY - children develop pattern recognition, creativity, balance, and critical thinking that enrich whatever they pursue," one user wrote. "Ancient India was good at everything. Unfortunately we are losing touch and unfortunately there are people abandoning it for the sake of being modern. We need to embrace our roots," a second user said. "Beautifully said. These disciplines cultivate attention, abstraction, rhythm, structure, and taste with aspects that improve thought within every field. Rather than mastery, early exposure to depth is what matters. Goal, not prodigies, is the perspective. Learning of any true notice comes from a child following of a Go board or listening to Carnatic music," a third user wrote.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Zoho's Sridhar Vembu, an IITian with Rs 50,000 cr networth, says kids should learn music, maths, poetry but not for medals. He explains why
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu is once again urging parents and educators to rethink what truly shapes a child's future—and it's not just marks or medals. In a recent post on X, Vembu highlighted a powerful yet often overlooked idea: early exposure to the arts, sciences, and culture can profoundly impact how children grow—not just professionally, but as individuals. He pointed to a wide range of disciplines, from pure mathematics and Carnatic music to chess, classical poetry, sculpture, and even fine cooking, calling them foundational experiences rather than competitive pursuits. According to him, the goal isn't to raise prodigies or world-class performers, but to nurture minds capable of deeper thought, better creativity, and sharper expression. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Finance Others Artificial Intelligence Degree MCA Product Management Project Management Data Analytics Management Public Policy Data Science others MBA Digital Marketing healthcare Design Thinking CXO PGDM Healthcare Operations Management Technology Leadership Data Science Cybersecurity Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Fintech & Blockchain India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta SEPO - IIMC CFO India Starts on undefined Get Details Drawing from his own life, Vembu admitted he may not excel in any of these domains, but each has shaped his perspective in unexpected ways. For instance, his love for mathematics has enriched his understanding of software development, while familiarity with classical arts, he believes, can help someone blossom into a brilliant architect or orator. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mountain Gear for Extreme Conditions Trek Kit India Learn More Undo The takeaway? Exposure matters more than expertise. By introducing children to a wide array of intellectual and cultural traditions—without the pressure to compete—Vembu believes we can help them grow into more thoughtful, capable, and well-rounded individuals. Internet reacts Many users resonated deeply with Sridhar Vembu's post, reflecting on how India's rich intellectual and cultural heritage is slowly being sidelined in the name of modernity. One user pointed out how ancient India excelled in diverse fields, yet much of that wisdom is now forgotten or abandoned. Another appreciated the mention of Bharatanatyam, calling it a deeply sophisticated art form that builds memory, stamina, focus, creativity, and discipline—far beyond its surface appeal. Others emphasised the practical impact of early exposure to such disciplines. Cooking, for instance, was described as an underrated life skill that promotes independence and better health. Several comments echoed the belief that it's not about grooming prodigies, but about nurturing curious, sensitive, and well-rounded individuals. These foundational skills, they noted, quietly enhance how children think, create, and solve problems—no matter the path they eventually Sridhar Vembu, an IITian with Rs 50000 crore networth, says kids should learn music, maths, poetry, but not for medals. He explains why
Mint
18-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Zoho sees India as fastest-growing market as enterprise deals accelerate
India's largest privately held tech services firm, Zoho Corp., expects India's small businesses and enterprises to generate more than $1 billion in revenue within the next five fiscal years, its new chief executive, Mani Vembu, told Mint on Thursday. Speaking with Mint, Mani Vembu, who took over after his elder brother Sreedhar stepped down to become 'chief scientist' of the Zoho group in January this year, projected that demand for digital services from 63 million-plus homegrown small and medium businesses (SMBs) can make India alone generate more than $1 billion within the next five fiscals. 'With how the India story is now evolving, we expect business in this geography to grow more than 30% year-on-year for five straight fiscals. For the past 10 fiscals, revenue from India has grown at a compounded rate of 51% annually—today, it contributes 15% of our overall revenue,' Vembu told Mint. Zoho is India's biggest privately held tech services provider. It competes for revenue with peers LTIMindtree, Mphasis, Coforge, Persistent Services and others. In FY23, the company reported that its group revenue crossed $1 billion. At the time of going to press, Zoho had yet to file its FY24 and FY25 financials. Vembu said that as of FY25, India generated 15% of the company's revenue. North America still accounts for nearly half of Zoho Corp's revenue, but is a slowing geography due to inflation concerns and macroeconomic uncertainties—as well as a transition phase in technology due to enterprises being disrupted by artificial intelligence. Over the past week, four of India's top five IT services firms reported quarterly revenue declines—driven by weakness in North America. India, on this note, has already proven to be a ground that can offer large deals—as seen in Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) $1.83-billion deal with state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd in May 2023. This quarter, the completion of the BSNL deal, coupled with a slowdown in North America, clearly hurt TCS—India's largest tech services outsourcing firm. Industry analysts added that efforts to amplify revenue from India—typically a muted market for IT services firms—is a rising industry trend. Akshay Khanna, managing partner at tech consulting firm Avasant, said that while'India has not contributed significantly so far, lately there has been a shift, even though India accounts for less than 10% of the industry's net revenue.' 'Generating broad-based revenue from India is all about catching enterprises at the right time. The same goes for small and medium businesses, who could potentially grow to be larger companies in due time,' Khanna added. Vembu also claimed that, driven by Sreedhar, the company spends 'up to 35% of its revenue' on research and development initiatives. On Thursday, the company unveiled its own, 7 billion-parameter large language model, which it is implementing across its own software offerings—and replacing third-party models such as OpenAI's GPT and Google's Gemini. A senior equity analyst at a Mumbai-based brokerage, requesting anonymity, said that such moves are 'largely to attempt cost arbitrage in tech services firms, where leveraging margin expansion is perhaps the biggest factor to ensure that an operation remains profitable'. 'Zoho had otherwise seen a steady phase of growth until FY23, but over the past years, has switched to an India-focused growth strategy—a factor that might just help it jump ahead of some of its peers in grabbing an early share of small businesses undertaking digital transformation,' the analyst added. However, Mint could not independently ascertain Vembu's R&D spending claim. So far, the company acquired Asimov Robotics earlier this year but has put its battery manufacturing and semiconductor industry plans on the back burner after neither materialised in terms of technical know-how or product-market fit.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Zoho develops AI-powered large language model with speech recognition
Zoho, a Chennai-based technology company, on Thursday unveiled a slew of AI platforms, including its much-touted, proprietary Zia LLM, an AI-powered large language model with automatic speech recognition capability (speech to text) for English and Hindi. Zia LLM was built completely in-house by leveraging NVIDIA's AI-accelerated computing platform, said Zoho. The company also unveiled Zia Agent Studio, a no-code/low-code agent builder with over 700 built-in actions and over 25 prebuilt AI agents, including several tailored for Indian customers. The launch also included a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which allows third-party agents to access actions from Zoho apps securely, with interoperability and governance in place. These launches were part of Zoho's broader AI strategy focused on privacy, contextual intelligence, and efficiency, the company said. These launches emphasised Zoho's long-standing aim to build foundational technology focused on the protection of customer data, breadth and depth of capabilities because of the business context, and value, Mani Vembu, CEO, Zoho, said on the sidelines of Zoholics India, the company's annual user conference held here. 'Our LLM model is trained specifically for business use cases, keeping privacy and governance at its core, which has resulted in lowering the inference cost, passing on that value to the customers, while also ensuring that they can utilise AI productively and efficiently,' he explained. Zoho's differentiation came from offering agents over its low-code platform so that there was a human in the loop for verification and modification, Mr. Vembu said, adding, 'We call this co-creation with the AI agent. It is much simpler to verify and make changes in the UI screen than reading the code.' 'We are enabling this across all the features to make it simpler to verify and validate the AI output,' he added. According to Mr. Vembu, India is one of Zoho's top markets and the company grew by 32% in 2024 in India.
