Sridhar Vembu, the founder of Zoho, has commented on the recent drop of the company’s messaging app Arattai from the top 100 charts on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. In a recent interview, he noted that the decline in rankings is a typical part of a product’s lifecycle and does not indicate any underlying issues. He stated, “There’s nothing going wrong. The notion that something is wrong is itself the problem. This is a natural progression; nothing rises without fluctuations. Patience and consistent progress are crucial in developing sustainable technology.” Vembu emphasized that Zoho prioritizes long-term innovation over transient market trends or superficial metrics. He remarked, “I have no interest in operating within a hype-driven environment.
Our focus is on creating technology with lasting value.” He pointed out that spikes in app store rankings are often fleeting and do not reflect true success. “The secret to companies that endure is maintaining a long-term perspective. I never regarded the number one position as significant; I informed our team that it is merely a momentary achievement that will not last,” he explained, highlighting the company’s commitment to ongoing product enhancement rather than celebrating short-lived successes. In addition to Arattai’s status, Vembu elaborated on Zoho’s larger vision and its role in advancing India’s tech landscape. While approximately 90 percent of Zoho’s revenue originates from outside India, he stressed the necessity of fostering local innovation to bolster the nation’s economy.
“To elevate our economy, we must emphasize value addition, which entails developing our own technology,” he asserted, advocating for India to enhance its value chain through indigenous research and development. On the competitive dynamics of messaging apps, Vembu endorsed the idea of opening existing platforms to third-party developers, believing such actions would promote fair competition and mitigate monopolistic practices. “Opening up ecosystems for various apps could offer substantial benefits,” he mentioned. Addressing privacy issues, Vembu announced that Arattai will soon implement device-based encryption, ensuring data security while allowing for reliable backups. He indicated that the company is adopting a gradual approach to introducing end-to-end encryption, balancing security measures with user-friendliness.
Regarding job reductions in major tech firms, Vembu firmly opposed routine layoffs, highlighting the importance of mutual loyalty between employers and employees. “The core issue for companies is whether we can expect loyalty and commitment from employees if employers do not demonstrate commitment and loyalty first,” he concluded. Through his insights, Vembu reinforced Zoho’s long-term philosophy of developing resilient, innovative, and ethical technology grounded in lasting values rather than transient trends.