SaaS company Zoho is all set to enter the eastern Uttar Pradesh area this year, the company's co-founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu said on Monday.
“We are going into Eastern UP this year, our first significant rural action in the North. [..] I wish we could have a meaningful presence everywhere and may be over the next 20 years we will get there. That is my dream,” Vembu said on social media platform X.
He added that Zoho aims to create cutting-edge research and development (R&D) capabilities wherever it operates, and that scaling up R&D teams has its limitations, unlike expanding manufacturing facilities. Vembu mentioned that the company is thriving in Kerala's Kottarakara, where it launched an industrial park and R&D centre focused on AI and robotics in February. The centre is expected to create around 1,000 jobs in Kerala.
The Chennai-based company was reportedly able to sign up more than 100 million users for more than 55 business running programmes last year.
Expressing his affection for the country and its heritage, Vembu noted that India “is a treasure trove of talent waiting to be tapped everywhere in Bharat. I am deeply fond of our nation - while I take pride in my Tamil roots, I equally appreciate every state and region, and the rich cultural, spiritual, and civilisational legacy they embody.”
According to Vembu, high-end technology companies in rural areas can play a vital role in stemming the tide of young talent seeking overseas employment opportunities. Zoho set up its rural office in Tamil Nadu's Tenkasi in 2011, starting with just 10 employees, and now reportedly has around 900 professionals working in a non-urban area.
