‘Rural Bharat Is A Global Goldmine’: Zoho's Sridhar Vembu's Most Insightful Interview With Arnab

New Delhi: Zoho founder and former CEO Sridhar Vembu, in an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, said that rural Bharat holds the world’s largest untapped talent pool — strong, young and hungry for opportunity.

Living and running his billion-dollar SaaS company from Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, Vembu said his choice to stay in rural India was both personal and professional, rooted in simplicity and purpose.
“Out of all possible choices, I want a life I am currently living in rural India. I’m simply living the dream life I always envisioned,” he told Republic, adding, “Rural Bharat has the biggest untapped global pool of talent — it’s strong, young, hungry and ready.” 

The interview holds greater relevance now as it comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods and tightened H-1B visa norms. While America builds barriers, Vembu’s message from Tenkasi — and Arnab’s call to the Indian diaspora to “return home and rebuild Bharat” — underscores a new paradigm: “India’s strength lies not in exporting talent, but in unleashing it at home”.

‘Hyperconnected world has made it possible’
Reflecting on how Zoho scaled from a small town to a global software leader, Vembu credited India’s hyperconnectivity for democratising innovation.
“It’s for the first time in human history that we are hyperconnected like this. Establishing Zoho from a small town like Tenkasi was possible only because we are so smoothly connected today through technology,” he said.

‘Simple Living, High Thinking’
Vembu shared that his minimalist lifestyle helps him stay grounded and focused. “I believe in simple living, high thinking — that’s what my parents taught me. My mother prefers a local bus to a private jet, an ordinary eatery to a 5-star hotel,” he said, adding, “I don’t want to do anything that makes her uncomfortable.”
He revealed he dedicates 70% of his personal time to deep technology, filing around 25 patents in the past two years.

Zoho’s Growth Story
Calling Microsoft his biggest competitor, Vembu said Zoho’s growth has been two to three times faster, driven by product quality, integration and customer-first values.
“We now have over 1 million paying organisations globally, 20% of them in India,” he said.

“We attract users from global companies because we offer better products at better value — and a human is always there to answer the call. We focus on human element — that’s respect. No robot can do that job,” he said.
Zoho operates 18 data centres worldwide and plans to expand to 50–60 in five years.

‘Made in India’ Brand Rising
Vembu praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Made in India’ vision, saying it has helped Indian tech gain global credibility. “‘Made in India’ sells across the world now, and we’re benefitting immensely from it,” he said.
He noted that India’s failure to build intellectual property during the IT revolution wasn’t due to lack of expertise but lack of self-belief.

“We must believe in ourselves. Our biggest strength is youthful talent. Our biggest weakness is that many of our educated elite don’t realise it,” he said.

On Arattai, India’s Answer to WhatsApp
Vembu spoke about Arattai, Zoho’s homegrown alternative to WhatsApp, envisioned to be India’s version of Chinese WeChat. “Arattai means ‘shooting the breeze’ in Tamil. It’s more than just chat — we want to have a billion users. 80% of my team in Tenkasi is local talent,” he said.

The Dharmic Way to Build Capital
Vembu called for a “dharmic capitalism” model — long-term, ethical and rooted in societal purpose. “American-style exit capitalism doesn’t suit India. Exit, for me, only means death,” he said.
“We need patient entrepreneurs with patient capital. Capitalism is Vaishya dharma minus the dharma. We must bring the dharma back.” He said he doesn’t need personal wealth. “I’m 57. I don’t need money for myself. Our society needs it more,” he said.

Vision for India
Vembu said India must aim to be a technology superpower, not just a consumer. “We have to trade on equal terms with the world. The rural youth of India can build everything — from chips to software,” he said.
Zoho, he revealed, is now investing in medical technology, robotics and semiconductors.

‘Humility Is India’s Global Strength’ 
Closing the interview, Vembu said India’s success must rest on cultural roots. “What makes an Indian wanted worldwide is humility. Our potential wants are insatiable, but true peace comes from contentment — and that’s rooted in our culture,” he said.