3 things Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu said during an event in Austin
At the Zoholics Austin event, CEO Sridhar Vembu discussed the importance of staying private, prioritising customer data privacy, and AI's impact on programming jobs.
CEO Sridhar Vembu at the grand event in Austin Convention Center, Texas. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Sridhar Vembu, the billionaire CEO of Zoho Corporation, didn’t just stop at sharing his vision for the company that offers software solutions to businesses at the Zoholics event in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday. Dressed in a maroon silk shirt and a white veshti, a traditional garment in Tamil Nadu, Vembu spoke for an hour to hundreds of partners, customers, and analysts about the future and where Zoho stands on some key issues, including the impact of AI on jobs, data privacy, layoffs in the tech industry, and more. Here’s a brief recap of what he had to say
‘Profitable companies shouldn’t cut costs’
“I don’t understand why companies cut costs, especially when they’re profitable,” the billionaire CEO said. “I don’t want to cut costs because we are profitable,” he added, saying that “I wouldn’t be able to make this statement if I were a public company CEO today, which tells you something about the realities of the company business. So, we don’t want to face that type of pressure.”
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Despite being cash-rich and holding enormous resources, tech giants such as Alphabet and Microsoft have made layoffs and continue to do so. In fact, the entire tech industry has seen layoffs in recent months, raising questions about whether getting a job in the tech industry should still be regarded as a “dream job.”
CEO Sridhar Vembu who was dressed in a maroon silk shirt and a white veshti spoke for an hour to hundreds of partners, customers, and analysts. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
“I’m extremely old-fashioned in all this. We do some skilled technology while remaining extremely old-fashioned in many of the ways we operate,” he said, highlighting why the company is privately-held and not listed.
In his address, Sridhar said the company’s balance sheet has remained debt-free. “We can afford the luxury of not cutting costs only if we avoid debt — our balance sheets are completely free of debt,” he added, “I sleep well at night, our CFOs sleep well at night, and that’s why our employees sleep well at night.”
‘Data belongs to customers, not the companies that hold them’
“Your data is your data we don’t ever monetize that. You pay us to use our software, we host your data, keep it safe and secure, but we don’t monetize it,” he said.
Vembu’s pitch to be a privacy-focused company is a business model Zoho wants to capitalize on. For decades, Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta have been questioned for their data-sharing practices. However, these companies have been forced to make changes to their products and alter their business models in the wake of stringent laws that have come out in Europe.
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“In any jurisdiction you operate, you are subject to local laws. If you’re operating in the Middle East, you’re subject to those laws. If you’re operating in India, you’re subject to Indian laws. In China, they have their own laws. No private company can say, ‘We just record all those; we operate there; we have the laws.”
“Programmers jobs to be automated with AI”
“It could affect programmer jobs. That may shift more towards customer experience. It’s still early days, but I think programmer jobs are something that could be affected by the rise of artificial intelligence,” according to Vembu.
Programmers belong to a higher-earning professional group. However, the tough job market and the speed at which AI tools are deployed may push companies to use artificial intelligence to automate some tasks and increase their efficiency. But that may not affect the responsibilities of experienced programmers, as AI will assist programmers in tasks like code reviews. Automation will affect some tasks that junior programmers previously performed, which will be replaced with AI.
(The writer is in Austin at the invitation of Zoho)
Anuj Bhatia is a seasoned personal technology writer at indianexpress.com with a career spanning over a decade. Active in the domain since 2011, he has established himself as a distinct voice in tech journalism, specializing in long-form narratives that bridge the gap between complex innovation and consumer lifestyle.
Experience & Career: Anuj has been a key contributor to The Indian Express since late 2016. Prior to his current tenure, he served as a Senior Tech Writer at My Mobile magazine and held a role as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. His professional trajectory reflects a rigorous commitment to technology reporting, backed by a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University.
Expertise & Focus Areas: Anuj’s reporting covers the spectrum of personal technology, characterized by a unique blend of modern analysis and historical context. His key focus areas include:
Core Technology: Comprehensive coverage of smartphones, personal computers, apps, and lifestyle tech.
Deep-Dive Narratives: Specializes in composing longer-form feature articles and explainers that explore the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture.
Global & Local Scope: Reports extensively on major international product launches from industry titans like Apple and Google, while simultaneously covering the ecosystem of indie and home-grown tech startups.
Niche Interests: A dedicated focus on vintage technology and retro gaming, offering readers a nostalgic yet analytical perspective on the evolution of tech.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Anuj is a trusted voice in the industry, recognized for his ability to de-jargonize trending topics and provide context to rapid technological advancements. His authority is reinforced by his on-ground presence at major international tech conferences and his nuanced approach to product reviews. By balancing coverage of the world's most valuable tech brands with emerging startups, he offers a holistic and objective view of the global technology landscape.
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