Zoho announces 31% growth in India, launches Vikra and Zoho IoT at Zoholics India

Chennai-based global technology company Zohosaid that it saw a customer growth of 31% in 2023 in India.

The announcement came during Zoholics India, the company’s annual user conference. 

"We remain steadfast in our product R&D efforts, with a focus on enhancing our platform through innovation and launching new products like Vikra and Zoho IoT while also integrating AI capabilities across the tech stack," said Sridhar Vembu, CEO and Co-founder of Zoho Corp.

Launching Vikra

To address the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India, Zoho has launched 'Vikra', a seller app designed for the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

The app aims to enable frictionless commerce by simplifying the onboarding process for businesses, allowing them to create product catalogues and start selling through major buyer platforms like Paytm, Ola, and Snapdeal.

According to ONDC’s Managing Director and CEO, T. Koshy, "Vikra represents the kind of innovation that supports ONDC's mission to make e-commerce accessible to all. By integrating such advanced solutions from Zoho, we are not just simplifying technology for businesses, we are also opening doors to a vast, inclusive digital economy. This is a step forward in democratizing e-commerce in India, where even the smallest businesses can now thrive in the digital marketplace harnessing the power of Technology.”

Vikra helps smaller businesses overcome technological complexities and high marketplace fees, offering features such as payment reconciliation and support for self-delivery or third-party logistics through partners like Delhivery.

Offering a customizable low-code platform

Alongside Vikra, Zoho also introduced 'Zoho IoT', a low-code platform that enables businesses to build and deploy custom Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Zoho IoT allows users to manage real-time data from IoT devices, providing actionable insights that help predict system outages, identify anomalies, and optimize operations.

The platform integrates with Zoho’s existing applications and is compatible with third-party hardware, offering flexibility for businesses of all sizes.

Zoho IoT is designed to serve various industries, including Industrial IoT, Smart Buildings, and Energy Management, where it helps automate processes, manage energy consumption, and provide real-time data analytics.

The platform is already available in key markets such as the US, India, and the EU, with security and data privacy measures in place to ensure compliance with global standards.

Driving growth through innovation and AI integration

Zoho’s growth in India is largely driven by products like Zoho One, Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and Zoho People. The company has also focused heavily on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its products. According to Vembu, Zoho’s AI capabilities are designed to enhance customer experience by offering deeper insights while maintaining a strong focus on privacy.

“As businesses increasingly seek value from their software solutions, Zoho is becoming a preferred partner for large enterprises and government institutions across India,” he added.

The company's top sectors contributing to growth include IT services, financial services, manufacturing, and retail, all of which are seeking scalable, unified solutions to meet their digital needs.

Through products like Vikra and Zoho IoT, Zoho is addressing the needs of smaller businesses that struggle with the complexities of e-commerce and technology. Vikra is aimed at democratizing e-commerce, making it accessible to even the smallest businesses, while Zoho IoT offers companies the ability to leverage advanced technology without needing extensive technical expertise.