The Hype and Vanish acts of
@Zoho
Off late, I am seeing that even small attempts are blown out of proportion, especially by social media. I absolutely am proud of such efforts, but I am surprised as to why people are going overboard as if it is the next best thing the world has seen!!
I am talking about the efforts of
@svembu and his company
@Zoho
Please dont take me wrong. His attempts are definitely to be lauded.
But...
He brought in "Arattai"
@Arattai. While it came up with so much fanfare, no one uses it nor there is any talk about it. This was pitched as "End of
@whatsapp"
Then their Office Suite. This was glorified as the next great thing as a competitior to
@Microsoft etc., etc. But no one knows where it is. This was glorified as "End of
@microsoft"
When I attempted to shift use zoho's hosting services and their email, even Zoho is not very interested!! Their price are not competitive. Their support is pathetic. They never showed interest to help me migrate from
@google and
@GoDaddy to their platfrom.
Then the Ulaa browser celeberated as "death to
@googlechrome".
Then came
@ZohoPayments glorified as "death to
@GooglePay @Paytm etc"
Then
@Karuvitech came. Their products are nowhere close to the international brands like
@BoschToolsNA @MakitaTools @DEWALTtough etc.
Now, people are glorifying Nathu La as some breakthrough. This is being projected as "Server Revolution". I am not sure why?!!!! Are they planning to build a server manufacturing unit anywhere in India?
He has built it by enoucraging a few talented freshers. That's about it. I am not sure if it is something unique?! Any patents filed? None of it is known! How does it compete with its competitors?! What is the cost?! Is it just an angel funded initiative or is it something that will hit the streets anytime soon!? So many questions, for which the answers are anybody's guess.
Again, do not mistake me for undermining
@zoho or
@svembu. I am honestly proud to see an Indian compete with international brands. I want him to be successful.
But at the same time, I feel that there is a lot of hype and very little of anything else. India, as a country is nowhere close to even Taiwan in terms of electronics. There is not even a single village in India which is adapted and made as a model where electronic components are manufactured as cottage industries, something like Sivakasi Crackers to help people understand.
I had almost quit professional life, when I was offered to join as a Vice-President for R&D for
@tallysolutions when Mukesh Ambani invested in that company (The period when Mukesh and Anil Ambani were fighting like crazy). I joined only because I could serve an Indian Company to produce a WORLD CLASS software product. Otherwise, I wouldnt have taken up such a role at all.
But then, the politics in that company was so nauseating, the fact that money was spent like water without any accountability, made me realize that that company is nowhere close to any company I had worked in western countries. Professionalism is not there. It was run like a Baniya Shop except that it was a million dollar shop.
I quit. I never looked to work for anyone after that.
But when I helped a friend of mine restructure his company and with their point of sales software product
@UniproRetailPOS, almost 20 years back, I saw
@zoho poaching employees (whom I wanted to fire actually and I did because they are so substandard) told me that Zoho is not really great.
But, when I heard
@Zoho and
@svembu and their initiatives, I felt very happy that not all is lost.
But, as I had listed above, I dont know what is happening really!!! I know he is attempting to break the beaten track of having officers only in big cities.
But except for the "tumbler shaped" building, which I believe he purchased later, near Vallancheri near Guduvanchery I havent seen any building in TN or elsewhere, I saw a prominent Zoho office. I travel a lot and people who know me know that.
I have met
@svembu once in
@WHCongress conference in Thailand. Otherwise, I had communicated by email a couple of times, but that's all one way. I never got any response to any of my emails.
So, if I look at it from a "professional" point of view, Zoho may have the potential to become something that is unique in India, but with what I have experienced with the "hype and disappear" technology they are deploying, I am not sure if they are doing this to GO PUBLIC and just another trick for getting investment. I wish I am wrong, but in materialistic world, this is what companies do. I have been part of such process myself in the past.
Again, it is not my intent to undermine any effort of any Indian. I will be the first to be very happy for such an effort. I have always felt that I had not given what I had given western countries when I was in my prime days. There were no companies which were ready to use my efforts and pay the money western countries were ready to give.
I know
@svembu is highly respected by
@PMOIndia and enocuraged as well. But what has the Govt really done to give him the boost that is requried for him to become a global competitor is unknown.
The only thing I see happening is the "hindutva" stamp being pasted on
@svembu and he also allows the stamp to be pasted on him and his 'efforts'.
@PypAyurved is the only one which I see as something that is to be proud of which competes with international brands both in India and abroad to an extent (at least among indians). Other than that, I can be proud of what
@anandmahindra had achieved in the 4 wheeler market with his cars.
@Bajajauto,
@RoyalEnfield,
@TataMotors,
@Amul_Coop,
@DaburIndia are some brands that come to mind but these are all not into software or hardware tech companies.
Anyways. I wish
@svembu understands my intent and if he feels it is worth it, take necessary steps to negate what I had said.
Good luck
@svembu.
Jai Shri Ram!