Zoho's Sridhar Vembu Defends Support for Minister, Cites Global Revenue

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has issued a statement defending his recent remarks expressing sadness over the resignation of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Vembu faced criticism online, with some users accusing him of defending the government to protect Zoho's business interests in India.

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Some facts: about 90% of our revenue comes from outside India, won against tough global competition.

Vembu firmly asserted that his views are independent and not influenced by political bias or external pressure. He sought to reinforce this claim by detailing Zoho's business model and revenue streams. According to Vembu, approximately 90% of Zoho's revenue is generated internationally through competition in the global market. He noted that only about 2% of the company's revenue comes from government contracts, emphasizing that when Zoho engages with government entities, it prioritizes delivering value and saving taxpayer money.

"Some facts: about 90% of our revenue comes from outside India, won against tough global competition,” Vembu wrote on X. “About 2% of our revenue is from the government and when we do business with the government, we always save the taxpayer money, which we have the utmost respect for. We are also among the largest tax payers in our region,” he added.

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About 2% of our revenue is from the government and when we do business with the government, we always save the taxpayer money, which we have the utmost respect for. We are also among the largest tax payers in our region.

Earlier, Vembu had praised Pradhan, calling him "one of the finest public servants" and expressing disappointment at his resignation. He mentioned discussions with Pradhan about equipping rural youth with skills. In his latest statement, Vembu reiterated that he has never asked any government for favors and provides advice independently of political ideology, citing his past interactions with entities like the Kerala Startup Mission under a Left Front government.

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I have never asked for a favor from the government and I never will. When asked for advice, I provide it and I do it independent of political ideology.