Zoho Mail nears $100 million in annual revenue; founder Sridhar Vembu credits privacy-first focus for global growth

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu

Zoho Mail, the flagship email service under Chennai-based Zoho Corporation, is nearing the $100 million annual revenue milestone. Founder and Chief Scientist Sridhar Vembu confirmed that the company’s email platform continues to grow rapidly, with more than 70 percent of its revenue now coming from markets outside India. The milestone underscores Zoho’s expanding global reach and the increasing confidence of international businesses in Indian-built enterprise software.

Zoho Mail’s growth is driven by its strong security framework and consistent R&D investment. The company recently highlighted its latest Virus Bulletin (VBSpam) scores, an internationally recognized benchmark for anti-spam and anti-malware performance. According to these results, Zoho Mail blocks over 99 percent of malware and phishing threats, achieving a spam catch rate of 93.29 percent, a phishing catch rate of 98.7 percent, and near-zero false positives. These results earned Zoho Mail the VBSpam certification, placing it among the most secure and reliable email platforms globally.

Zoho Mail’s privacy-focused, ad-free model has been central to its appeal. The service does not rely on advertising, allowing users to maintain full control of their data. This approach has helped the platform attract both individuals and organizations seeking alternatives to ad-supported services such as Gmail. Its integration within Zoho Workplace further strengthens its position as a comprehensive enterprise communication solution, offering tools for collaboration, storage, and productivity without compromising user privacy.

The platform’s user base has expanded significantly, driven by consistent feature innovation. Zoho has introduced tools like advanced image annotation within emails, alias delegation, and seamless integration with the broader Zoho ecosystem. Additionally, adoption by government institutions and the growing “Digital India” movement have contributed to its visibility. However, with over two-thirds of its revenue now coming from outside India, Zoho Mail’s success highlights the growing international demand for homegrown SaaS products that emphasize security, reliability, and independence.

Commenting on the achievement, Sridhar Vembu said the milestone reflects Zoho’s long-standing commitment to building products that prioritize customer satisfaction and technical excellence. “Our focus has always been on delivering value and protecting user data,” he noted. As Zoho Mail moves closer to crossing the $100 million revenue mark, Vembu’s message reinforces Zoho’s philosophy of self-reliance and long-term growth over short-term gains—a strategy that has helped it set new global standards for enterprise software built in India.