How Zoho Is Redefining Bharat’s Tech Identity and Challenging Western Software Dominance

You must have used Google, Microsoft or any other international software giant in your day-to-day life, but have you ever heard of Zoho? Zoho is a local Indian technology juggernaut that has already become a strong alternative for the international digital platforms. Even its founder, Sridhar Vembu, has publicly taken on Microsoft by saying, 'We have a better experience.'

What is Zoho?

Zoho is an international software company which develops internet-based tools for business and is trusted by more than 130 million users all over the world. Zoho is proud to be based in India and is based to a large extent in rural Tamil Nadu, where it has concentrated on the spirit of “Made in India”.

The company offers a wide range of apps on sales, marketing, customer support, finance and communication services such as secure email services and help desk software. Zia is an AI assistant introduced by Zoho that is incorporated into the apps to provide features such as advanced insights and automation of data.

Also, in contrast to a majority of worldwide tech giants, Zoho is privately held and has no debts; they never relied on foreign venture capital. This will enable it to pursue long-term national objectives and innovativeness and will not help in the short term to gain profit.

Trusted by Global Giants

The dependability of Zoho has enabled it to be a choice of major companies worldwide, such as Puma, Deloitte, Byju’s, Big Basket, Swiggy, and Rogers.

Zoho Expense is utilised by Puma, an international sports brand that has automated expense management in different countries.

Noorul Huq, SERGAS IT Group Manager, gushes about Zoho Connect, saying it is easy, efficient and affordable.

Karen Risse, founder of The Recruiting Pros, stated, “I evaluated it against two other platforms. Honestly, there was no question... Zoho Recruit was the one.”

This kind of testimonial shows that Zoho is not only an Indian success story but also an international standard in enterprise software excellence.

From Humble Beginnings to Global Recognition

The company was established in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, under the name AdventNet, but was rebranded as Zoho Corporation in 2009 when the online office suite gained popularity. Zoho is one of the only Indian technology companies that are now competing on the same level as tech giants based in Silicon Valley.

The vision of Vembu is also not only about business. The company educates students with humble backgrounds through a programme called Zoho Schools as a way of empowering young minds in the rural areas to learn how to become competent tech professionals. This project is in the real spirit of “Atmanirbhar Bharat – empowering Bharat from the bottom up”.

Ashwini Vaishnaw Endorses Zoho’s Swadeshi Spirit

I am moving to Zoho — our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets & presentations. 🇮🇳

I urge all to join PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products & services. pic.twitter.com/k3nu7bkB1S
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) September 22, 2025

On September 22, 2025, Electronics and IT Minister Vaishnaw announced on X that he was moving to Zoho for his work on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. He also wrote:

"I am moving to Zoho — our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets & presentations. I urge all to join PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products & services."

He also shared a video praising the "phenomenal" capabilities of the Zoho office suite and expressing his intent to switch at the earliest.

Challenging Microsoft: A ‘Made in India’ Tech Revolution

Zoho founder and former CEO Sridhar Vembu has openly challenged tech giant Microsoft, asserting that his homegrown software company now provides a broader and more advanced suite of products.

In a post shared on X, Vembu urged users to explore Zoho’s offerings, confidently stating that the Chennai-based company is the only one in the world capable of matching Microsoft in terms of both product depth and variety.

He also shared a striking visual that showcased the remarkable growth of Zoho and its IT division, ManageEngine, from 2002 to today.

Vembu wrote, “This visual captures how far we’ve come from a handful of products in 2002 to a full suite today. We are the only company that can truly take on Microsoft in the breadth and depth of our products. Our tools deliver a far superior experience, so take a close look! We’re doubling down on research and development across cloud, AI, and platforms to drive even faster innovation.”

A Symbol of Bharat’s Digital Pride

Zoho is not only the story of software. It reflects the rising technological self-confidence of Bharat and the capacity of the country to rise above the foreign monopolies. With Bharat becoming Atmanirbhar, many companies such as Zoho demonstrate that innovation, quality, and patriotism do not have to be in opposition to each other.

Zoho is an Indian company in an otherwise Western world of tech giants, a replica of what can be accomplished with Indian vision, skill, and integrity, a real Made in India, Made for the World!

Article by

Mokshi Jain

Sub Editor, The Narrative