In this article, we will be discussing the story of Sridhar Vembu, the CEO of Zoho Corporation, who went from being an ordinary employee to becoming one of the biggest social entrepreneurs in India, with a net worth of $2.6 Billion. He is running a revolutionary experiment that can solve the unemployment crisis in India by turning the remotest villages of India into the tech hubs of the world.
Sridhar Vembu is a Princeton graduate who had the perfect job in the silicon valley startup Qualcomm when he realized that there were so many Indian engineers working at crucial positions at multiple billion-dollar companies all across the world, and yet very few Indian companies were strong contenders in the software industry. This is when he started Zoho Corporation, which has gone from an ordinary startup to becoming a billion-dollar company with an estimated market value of $5 Billion in the past 22 years.
What’s more astounding is not the growth of Zoho but what Sridhar Vembu is doing with his company’s massive influence. He decided to start a revolutionary experiment to solve the unemployment crisis in India. In 2004, the founders of Zoho started something called the Zoho University. Here they started to onboard and train students with skillsets and abilities at a very young age.
What is unique about this system is that instead of asking fees and donations from the students, Zoho pays the student a stipend of ₹10,000 per month throughout the tenure of the 2-year course. During this extensive training, students are taught Mathematics, English, Programming, and every other subject that is needed to turn an ordinary kid into an employable candidate. After the course, they get recruited in Zoho itself with an amazing package regardless of their degree.
Through this job, these students get the golden opportunity to uplift their family from all economic challenges forever. These schools have been designed specially to empower the youngsters from the villages of India where, let alone employment, even education is considered to be a luxury. Zoho believes that skillsets and abilities are far more valuable than paper credentials.
One of the most successful stories of the Zoho system is Abdul Alim, who was an ordinary security guard working 12 hour shifts at Zoho. One fine day, one of his seniors decided to tap into his potential and started training him. Fast forward to a few months later, today, this boy works as an engineer and takes up technical projects in the very same company where he was working as a security guard. Today, close to 10% of the entire workforce of Zoho consists of ordinary kids like Abdul Alim who became capable engineers after hailing from the remotest villages of the country.
Not just that, today Zoho is experimenting with these models in 10 villages in Tamil Nadu where 200 of its engineers, 20 in each village, will collaborate and build a software for the world. The leaders of Zoho are working very hard to extend its empowerment models to the villages of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh also.
Vembu Sir believes that village offices would be the future of work as village economies begin to prosper. Which is why, in spite of having his offices in 21 countries, including America, China, and Australia, Sridhar Sir stays in a small village named Mathalamparai, which is about 650 km away from Chennai. And he operates his $5B company from this village itself. This is what you call ‘practicing what you preach’.
The reason why Sridhar Sir is a legend is because the model that he is building is a scalable model that can be replicated by several billion-dollar companies all across the country. And instead of giving out donations for a short term impact, through this model, companies can create a long term
create a better future for our country and for the world.
In conclusion, Sridhar Vembu is a true inspiration and a game-changer in the Indian business industry. He has shown that with dedication, hard work, and a vision to create social impact, one can achieve success and create a better world for everyone. His experiment with ZOHO University is a revolutionary model that can help solve the unemployment crisis in India by creating skilled and employable individuals, especially in rural areas. And the best part is that this model is scalable and can be replicated by other companies to create a win-win scenario for both the companies and the people.
It is time for us to start promoting and supporting such incredible ideas and initiatives that can create a positive impact on our society and the world. We need more leaders like Sridhar Vembu who can bring about a positive change in the world and create a better future for everyone. Let us share this article and spread the word about the amazing work that Sridhar Vembu and ZOHO Corporation are doing, and inspire others to do the same.
