Passion and purpose drive people, not work hours, says Zoho CEO Manikandan Vembu

Mani Vembu, chief executive officer of ZOHO

As debates around work-life balance and long working hours gain momentum, Manikandan Vembu, the newly appointed CEO of Zoho, said that productivity is driven by passion rather than imposed schedules.

"This is job-specific and individual-specific. If you are truly interested in something, work naturally happens. You cannot force it, especially in the knowledge industry. Sitting in front of a computer does not mean you are thinking productively. Passion and purpose drive people. Some will act as anchors, finding new paths, while others will follow," he said in an interview with Moneycontrol.

Vembu took over the reins of Zoho following the transition of Sridhar Vembu, the company’s co-founder and longtime CEO. Sridhar Vembu, who played a pivotal role in shaping Zoho into a global software powerhouse, has shifted his focus to research and rural initiatives while continuing to be actively involved in the company’s strategic direction. He is now the chief scientist at Zoho.

Mani Vembu believes that meaningful work is an outcome of motivation rather than external pressure.

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Vembu, who has long been known as a mentor within Zoho, described his leadership philosophy as one that prioritizes individual strengths over rigid structures.

"I believe in giving people freedom. Everyone has their own natural talent and interests, and it is their interest that drives passion and motivation. I let people find their strengths and focus on those rather than trying to fix their weaknesses," Vembu said.

Over the past few years, a growing number of ex-Zoho employees have gone on to establish their own startups, earning the term ‘Zoho Mafia’.

Vembu sees this as a natural evolution.

"When people have ideas, they want to experiment with entrepreneurship. AI is also enabling new market opportunities. This is a good trend because it creates a healthy ecosystem, which benefits India, customers, and the market," he said.

Notable companies founded by former Zoho employees include Freshworks, Chargebee, and SurveySparrow. Freshworks offers customer engagement software, while Chargebee, co-founded by Krish Subramanian, is a subscription billing platform. SurveySparrow, co-founded by Shihab Muhammed and Subin Sebastian, provides online survey tools.