🔥 Trending Who is Sridhar Vembu? Everything you need to know about the Zoho CEO

Sridhar Vembu is an Indian billionaire businessman, co-founder, and CEO of Zoho Corporation, a multinational technology company known for its web-based business tools and information technology solutions ⁶¹⁰. He is recognized for his unconventional approach to business and his efforts in rural development and education ⁵⁶.

Early Life and Education

Born in 1968 to a middle-class Tamil family in the Thanjavur district of India, Vembu did not come from an industrial background ⁵. He was a bright student, achieving the 27th rank in the national-level Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), which earned him admission to the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) ⁸.

Career and Zoho Corporation

Vembu co-founded AdventNet, Inc. in 1996 in New Jersey, alongside Tony Thomas. This company later evolved into Zoho Corporation ¹⁰. While the IT sector in India was largely focused on services, Vembu took an unconventional path by starting a product company ⁶. Zoho Corporation is now headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, with offices in 80 countries and its U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas ¹⁰.

Recognition and Awards

Vembu has received numerous accolades for his contributions:

• 2019 Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year Award" in India ¹³.
• Padma Shri in 2021, India's fourth-highest civilian honor ¹³.
• CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in 2022 ¹³.
• Appointed to the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) of India in 2021 ¹³.

Net Worth

As of 2025, Sridhar Vembu and his siblings are ranked #47 on Forbes' India's Richest list ².