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Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu
Zoho Corp founder Sridhar Vembu announced he is stepping down as CEO of the privately held SaaS giant to assume a new position as chief scientist, focusing on research and development (R&D) initiatives.
The transition, he said, comes in response to growing challenges and opportunities, including major developments in artificial intelligence.
“A new chapter begins today,” Vembu wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “It has been decided that it is best that I should focus full time on R&D initiatives, along with pursuing my personal rural development mission.”
A new chapter begins today.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) January 27, 2025
In view of the various challenges and opportunities facing us, including recent major developments in AI, it has been decided that it is best that I should focus full time on R&D initiatives, along with pursuing my personal rural development mission.…
Co-founder Shailesh Kumar Davey will become Zoho’s new group CEO. Vembu said Tony Thomas, also a co-founder, will head Zoho’s U.S. division; Rajesh Ganesan will lead ManageEngine; and Mani Vembu will assume leadership of Zoho.com.
Vembu, who holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from Princeton University, founded Zoho as a cloud-based business software provider that remains privately owned.
He and his siblings hold a majority stake in the company, whose product range has fueled Zoho’s emergence as one of India’s most successful homegrown tech enterprises.
Known for his commitment to sustainable development, Vembu runs an in-house training program, Zoho University, which offers skill-building for students straight out of high school and absorbs many graduates into the firm’s workforce. He also funds a school for rural children in Tamil Nadu.
Under this leadership restructuring, Vembu will shift his attention to what he terms "deep R&D," reflecting Zoho’s broader push into innovation to remain competitive in a rapidly changing tech landscape.
"The future of our company entirely depends on how well we navigate the R&D challenge," Vembu wrote. "I am also very happy to get back to hands-on technical work," he added.