Zoho Funnels in Manufacturing Firms To Create Jobs in Rural Areas

Zoho, a big cloud computing firm, announced an undisclosed investment in manufacturing firms Karuvi and Yali Aerospace, which will create jobs in smaller towns and villages. The investments, according to the corporation, are part of its continuous efforts to develop deep-tech expertise and manufacturing capabilities in India.

"Manufacturing and technology capabilities are critical to a nation's economic prosperity. For our country to gain in this area, conscious attention to building expertise that is currently scarce becomes necessary," said Sridhar Vembu, CEO and Co-founder, Zoho.

"Karuvi and Yali are startups that are not only innovating in their respective fields but are also creating jobs and bringing technical skillsets to smaller towns and villages, which aligns with our philosophy," Vembu added.

Karuvi, a mechatronics business founded in 2022, has released ten tools, including drills, power saws, and angle grinders.

The business, based in Chennai, intends to develop a production facility in Tenkasi this year. Karuvi products are made with around 95 percent locally sourced components.

"We will be adding more tools to our portfolio and plan to have at least 30 products by the end of 2025. We are also working to create a network of suppliers so that we can source all components locally," said MSD Prasad, CEO, Karuvi.

Based in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Yali Aerospace is a startup in the aerospace industry. With 120 minutes, their current model can transport emergency medical supplies across a distance of more than 300 kilometers.