Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu Compares Engineers to Rishis as He Reveals the Hidden Depths of Arattai

The Spirit of Engineering Excellence

Zoho founder and former CEO Sridhar Vembu recently shared an inspiring reflection on what it truly means to be a dedicated engineer. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he drew a striking parallel, describing the life of an engineer as similar to that of a Rishi—a seeker devoted to truth and mastery. His post came as he praised the team behind Arattai, Zoho’s homegrown messaging platform that has been quietly in the making for over five years.

Vembu’s admiration for his team was heartfelt. He noted that while Arattai might appear to be a simple messaging app on the surface, it conceals immense technological depth. He credited the engineers for working tirelessly without expectation of fame or immediate success, urging them to stay focused and unaffected by external praise or criticism.

At the heart of Arattai lies Zoho’s sophisticated engineering foundation. Vembu explained that the app runs on what the company calls its messaging/AV framework—the same real-time infrastructure that powers Zoho’s high-quality calls and meetings. This framework, he said, has been refined for over 15 years to deliver seamless connectivity.

But that’s only part of the story. Behind the scenes, Zoho operates on a distributed framework that handles workload distribution, database management, fault tolerance, security, and performance monitoring. This powerful system forms the backbone of Zoho’s infrastructure and has been perfected over two decades.

Vembu emphasized that these frameworks are entirely homegrown, a testament to Zoho’s commitment to independence and innovation. He shared that the company’s long-term R&D efforts give it the strength to continue building world-class products from the ground up. Having recently shifted his focus full-time to research and development, Vembu promised that more groundbreaking innovations are on the horizon.

His message carries a deeper philosophy: technology should be a craft honed with patience, discipline, and purpose—values that mirror those of a spiritual seeker.

What Undercode Say:

The comparison of engineers to Rishis is not mere poetic expression—it captures the soul of what it means to innovate with integrity. Sridhar Vembu’s post is less about Arattai itself and more about the ethos of long-term creation. In a tech world obsessed with instant success and viral growth, his message stands in stark contrast.

Vembu is redefining what it means to be a technologist in an age of rapid iteration. He reminds us that true engineering mastery is built over decades, not sprints. Zoho’s story illustrates this perfectly: its frameworks have been evolving quietly for 15 to 20 years, independent of external funding or hype cycles. This kind of engineering patience is rare—and powerful.

From a technical standpoint, the dual-framework structure he describes is impressive. The messaging/AV framework ensures real-time reliability—a crucial factor in communication platforms. Meanwhile, the distributed framework reflects a deep understanding of modern scalability challenges: load balancing, redundancy, and security. These are not flashy buzzwords but the quiet foundations that define a robust software ecosystem.

The decision to build everything in-house also signals a philosophical stance. While many companies rely heavily on third-party tools or cloud platforms, Zoho insists on internal development. This independence gives it complete control over performance, privacy, and security—factors that are becoming increasingly vital in the post-cloud era.

The Rishi analogy carries another layer of meaning. In Indian tradition, a Rishi is someone who renounces distractions to focus on discovering universal truths. Vembu applies this concept to engineering: the best innovations come not from chasing trends but from disciplined, purpose-driven inquiry. Engineers, in his view, should act like seekers—focused on building systems that endure.

It’s also interesting how Vembu subtly critiques the modern startup mindset. While many founders chase valuations and marketing buzz, he celebrates perseverance and obscurity. The Arattai team’s five-year effort before launch exemplifies that belief—true innovation often grows in silence.

From an organizational perspective, this long-term R&D culture fosters resilience. By investing in deep, foundational technology, Zoho ensures that its future products will be faster, safer, and more efficient. Vembu’s shift to full-time research is not a retreat from leadership—it’s an act of faith in sustainable engineering.

Culturally, his statement bridges traditional Indian wisdom and modern software development. It reflects an emerging philosophy among India’s tech leaders: blending spirituality with science, patience with progress, and autonomy with innovation.

On a broader scale, Zoho’s model offers lessons for the global tech ecosystem. Instead of constant dependence on external ecosystems or venture capital, companies can thrive by cultivating deep internal capabilities. This is the antithesis of the “move fast and break things” mantra—it’s “build slow and perfect things.”

For aspiring engineers, Vembu’s philosophy is a powerful reminder that mastery takes time. Great products are not rushed—they evolve through persistence, refinement, and curiosity. Arattai’s “depth inside” is both literal and symbolic—it represents the unseen effort, discipline, and quiet craftsmanship behind every enduring innovation.

If Zoho continues down this path, it could redefine what it means to be an independent technology powerhouse in an increasingly interconnected world. And perhaps that’s the point: to build software not just for profit, but for purpose.

Fact Checker Results

✅ Sridhar Vembu indeed compared engineers to Rishis in his X post.
✅ Arattai’s frameworks are fully homegrown and have been under development for 15–20 years.
✅ Vembu confirmed his move to full-time R&D and promised future innovations.

Prediction

In the coming years, Zoho’s R&D-driven approach is likely to set a new benchmark for Indian tech companies. With Vembu focusing entirely on innovation, Arattai could evolve into a global competitor against major messaging platforms. The company’s long-term commitment to in-house technology may also position Zoho as a leader in privacy-focused, high-performance enterprise solutions. 🌍✨