Zoho launches made-in-India ERP solution from Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam (Tamil Nadu), Jan 23 (PTI) Moving to a higher gear on indigenous offerings, homegrown software firm Zoho on Friday announced its made-in-India enterprise resource planning solution for local businesses, as the Chennai-headquartered company looks to challenge global players while deepening its presence in smaller towns.

Zoho's enterprise resource planning (ERP) announcement was made from Kumbakonam, where it plans to scale the current workforce of about 200 to a 'campus' with capacity for up to 2,000 professionals over time. The company established operations here in 2020 and has gradually expanded by hiring locally.

Zoho says its latest offering has been developed with support from the Kumbakonam team, and its future growth will also be driven by this rural town in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu.

Zoho's push into ERP also builds on the growing visibility it has received from the government over the past year. Keeping with the 'swadeshi' spirit, last year, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made a presentation on the decisions of the Union Cabinet using the indigenously developed 'Zoho Show' software.

Ministers, founders and CEOs of India Inc have highlighted Zoho as an example of India's ability to build scalable software platforms domestically.

The latest made-in-India solution, Zoho ERP, aims to help fast-growing Indian businesses scale without "rigid" architectures or high costs typically associated with legacy ERP platforms.

Zoho believes that as businesses in India outgrow their existing financial systems, they face difficulties in transitioning to legacy ERP platforms that are typically complex, disconnected from other systems, and are consultant-dependent.

According to the company, co-founded by Sridhar Vembu, now in the role of Chief Scientist, the new ERP solution aims to shorten implementation timelines, reduce costs, and improve visibility within the organisation, filling "a persistent gap in the market".

Unlike traditional ERPs that add Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a separate layer, Zoho ERP natively embeds continuous intelligence across the platform, according to the company. It enables AI-driven customisations, voice-based assistance with Ask Zia, automation, predictive insights, anomaly detection, and end-to-end visibility across finance and operations.

"With Zoho ERP, we have built a powerful, compliance-ready platform that serves as a strong homegrown alternative to global ERP solutions," Shailesh Davey, CEO, Zoho Corp, said.

The imprint of Kumbakonam on the company's latest product reflects the company's long-standing strategy of tapping talent beyond major metros.

Zoho has previously replicated this operating model in towns such as Tenkasi, leveraging local hiring and training for its offerings.

Currently, a part of the team building Zoho ERP operates out of Zoho's regional office in Kumbakonam, and as the product scales and is rolled out globally, the company said it will continue to hire local talent to support the growth.

"Aligned with our vision of connecting fintech, banking, and business software, Zoho ERP delivers a powerful platform with built-in local compliance through payroll and tax engines, and a role-based, intuitive user experience that improves productivity and operational efficiency," Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran, Global Head of Finance and Operations business unit at Zoho and CEO of Zoho Payment Technologies, said.

Zoho ERP integrates core financial management, billing management, spend management, supply chain management, in addition to omnichannel commerce and payroll management on a single platform. The solution also offers asset management, budgeting, and continuous financial close while providing financial controls andan audit trail.

The launch includes industry-specific capabilities in the ERP system, built for manufacturing, distribution, retail, and non-profit businesses, with more to be added in future releases.

With over 55 apps across nearly every major business category, Zoho Corporation is among India's most visible technology companies. Zoho is privately held and profitable, and employs over 18,000 people globally.

The company plans to open a larger office in Kumbakonam later in 2026 to accommodate the growing workforce as Zoho ERP is launched in different countries around the world. The new campus will have the capacity to host up-to 2,000 people.

"To support its goals of rural development through technology, Zoho has not only been creating software development jobs at Kumbakonam and neighbouring areas, but also invested in upskilling initiatives, supporting various community activities, as well as serving local businesses such as City Union Bank and SASTRA University," the release said.

For Zoho, Kumbakonam is more than an operational footprint -- it is a location where the company is training and preparing a pool of software professionals.

In 2025, Zoho Schools of Learning opened a branch in Kumbakonam for the School of Technology. The current batch comprises 10 students, and the admission process for the 2026 batch has started.

ZSL, positioned as an alternative to college, is a 24-month training programme for students who have completed their schooling; it focuses on experiential training to prepare an industry-ready pool of professionals. PTI