Sridhar Vembu, the founder of Zoho Corp, believes that the future of technology and entrepreneurial success of India lies in its villages. In an article on X (formerly Twitter), he urged ambitious engineers and entrepreneurs with a “long-term horizon” to look beyond major cities and consider rural India as the place where to build their dreams.
“If you are an intelligent ambitious engineer or entrepreneur with a long -term horizon, rural India is an ideal place to build your dream,” wrote Vembu. He stressed that, unlike rural areas of developed countries, rural India has a demographic youth. On the other hand, the Indian cities rely on the migration of the villages to maintain their workforce.
Vembu challenged entrepreneurs to rethink their approach: “Why not go to the source of talent? In the average rural district in India (Tenkasi being typical), you have around 20,000 children born per year. Think deeply about this Number! What can you build with this talent?
However, he stressed that success in these regions requires patience and a long -term state of mind. “The” long-term horizon “part is extremely important. If you want a release in 3 years, forget it! And look beyond English and engage the talent in their mother tongue”, he advised.
The Vemmbu call for action comes only a few weeks after resigning as CEO of Zoho Corp. He recently went to the role of chief scientist, focusing on research and development. His latest message strengthens his belief in decentralization and rural empowerment – values that have shaped Zoho’s approach to the development of talents for years.
