Sridhar Vembu

According to an IIT Madras alumni profile, Vembu earned a B.Tech. in electrical engineering there in 1989 and a doctorate from Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private university and Ivy League member in Princeton, New Jersey. Chartered on October 22, 1746 as the College of New Jersey, it moved to Princeton in 1756 and adopted its present name in 1896. Undergraduate education leads to A.B. and B.S.E. degrees and emphasizes small-group discussion, independent research and residential college life. Graduate education spans the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering. As of October 2026, Christopher L. Eisgruber was president. Its 2026–27 operating budget was $3.407 billion, including $342 million for undergraduate aid.Open the full entry in 1994. He then worked as a systems design engineer at QualcommQualcommQualcomm is a semiconductor and wireless technology company headquartered in San Diego, California. Founded in 1985 by Irwin Jacobs and six other former Linkabit colleagues, it built its business on CDMA technology and now rests on two pillars: its Snapdragon chip platforms and the licensing of cellular standard-essential patents. It has faced antitrust investigations and litigation in many jurisdictions, and in recent years has expanded into automotive, IoT, PCs and AI data centers.Open the full entry on wireless and satellite communications until 1996.⁠[1]

In a 25th-anniversary account, Vembu placed the business’s origins around late 1995 to early 1996 and described early teams in India and the United States. He emphasized that the venture was not the work of one person alone; the efforts became part of AdventNet.⁠[2]

In a published interview account, Vembu recalled leaving Qualcomm in 1996 and trying to find business for the Indian startup team. In 1997, Tony Thomas asked him to help sell software. The account describes his move from engineering toward commercial work.⁠[3]

In a 2008 retrospective, Vembu described how the collapse of the internet and telecom boom affected the company’s early customers. He said the company preserved cash and diversified in the following years, an account of the strategic shift written in retrospect.⁠[4]

An EY profile says the business began building software services under the Zoho brand in 2005 and was renamed Zoho Corporation in 2009. The brand, products and company name emerged at different times rather than each representing a separate new company.⁠[5]

IIT Madras describes Zoho University as providing programming training to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and opportunities to join the company. The graduate figures in that profile reflect its own time and should not be treated as current totals.⁠[1]

In its 25th-anniversary materials, Zoho said it had grown through its own operations without venture capital and had declined acquisition offers. The company presented operational independence as an important reason for that choice.⁠[6]

In a Business Standard interview, Vembu discussed creating technology employment opportunities in rural India and smaller towns. Zoho’s distributed offices and training initiatives reflect his interest in where technology work takes place and in regional development.⁠[7]

Anant National University’s profile says Vembu received India’s Padma Shri in 2021 in recognition of his contributions.⁠[8]

Zoho identifies Vembu as co-founder and chief scientist. The company’s timeline says he moved into that role in 2025 to focus on research and development, while Shailesh Kumar Davey became chief executive.⁠[9]

In January 2026, The News Minute reported a California court’s approximately $1.7 billion bond order during pretrial divorce proceedings. It also reported opposing positions: Vembu’s lawyer said the order was invalid and under appeal, while the other party’s lawyer said it remained valid. Those claims should not be treated as a final ruling.⁠[10]

In February 2026, The New Indian Express reported that the Madras High Court directed Vembu and other respondents to answer an application seeking evidence in India for the U.S. divorce case. The report describes the procedural stage at that time, not the case’s final outcome.⁠[11]

In October 2026, The Economic Times reported that Vembu said Zoho would skip its usual annual pay increases that year, citing pressures including artificial intelligence costs. His statement reflects that point in time and does not independently establish future compensation policy.⁠[12]

Zoho Corporation: Official website: https://www.zohocorp.com/ (opens in a new window). The company identifies Vembu as a co-founder and chief scientist.⁠[13]