**Zoho IPO Soon? Here’s What Founder Sridhar Vembu Said**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 29, 2025, 11:29 AM*
Sridhar Vembu, the co-founder and CEO of Zoho, has once again emphasized that the company is not rushing towards an initial public offering (IPO). In a recent post on X, he shed light on how some of Zoho’s ambitious projects, like Arattai, would have struggled to take shape under the financial pressures typical of public companies.
### The Story Behind Arattai
Vembu candidly described Arattai as a “hopelessly foolish” project, noting that even the employees were skeptical about its potential success. Despite this, the company pursued it, underscoring Zoho’s commitment to innovation without the constraints of short-term financial expectations.
### A Strong Engineering Focus
Vembu highlighted that the decision to undertake such projects is rooted in a desire to build robust engineering capabilities in India. He said, “We built it because we felt we need that kind of engineering capability in Bharat. We need a lot more of such capabilities in Bharat and we are on it.”
This emphasis on nurturing local talent and technology development reinforces Zoho’s dedication to contributing significantly to India’s tech landscape.
### Long-Range R&D Initiatives
Zoho is simultaneously working on a variety of long-term research and development projects across several critical technology domains, including compilers, databases, operating systems, security, hardware, chip design, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
Vembu mentioned that the company has invested in many R&D-intensive firms where immediate profitability is not the primary goal. “Zoho is a kind of an industrial research lab that also makes money to fund itself,” he explained, highlighting the company’s unique balance between innovation and financial sustainability.
### A Frugal and Sustainable Approach
Another important aspect of Zoho’s philosophy is frugality. Vembu pointed out that Zoho’s leadership team lives modestly, drawing a parallel with scientists and engineers at ISRO. This lifestyle choice helps keep the company’s focus on innovation and long-term growth rather than chasing short-term profits.
He described this approach as the “essence of Bharat,” comparing it with Japan’s developmental model, emphasizing sustainability and disciplined growth.
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For more insights, take a look at Sridhar Vembu’s original post on X.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/zoho-founder-sridhar-vembu-comments-on-potential-ipo-plans/story