Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu Takes Break from Social Media to Focus on Coding, Says He Can’t “Preach Without Practising”

Zoho cofounder and CEO Sridhar Vembu has announced that he will be stepping away from social media and all external engagements to dedicate his time to hands-on coding work. Known for his active presence on X (formerly Twitter) and his outspoken advocacy for India’s homegrown technology ecosystem, Vembu said he has fallen behind on a coding commitment and now wants to “ship some code I had committed to ship.”

In a candid post on X, Vembu shared, “I will take a break from external engagements after this week.” The entrepreneur, who is deeply respected for his “lead by example” philosophy, explained that his decision comes from his personal belief in practising what he preaches. “I am sorry to have to impose this hard restriction but I cannot do both deep tech work (which I am preaching constantly about in my external engagements) and then only do the preaching and not practising it myself,” he wrote.

https://x.com/svembu/status/1978289770620219883

Emphasizing his guiding principle, he added, “That would contradict my dictum ‘do not preach what you do not practise,’ and I am at the risk of only preaching and not practising.”

Vembu’s announcement follows a period of heightened online activity, where he has shared thoughts on technology, innovation, and digital sovereignty. Just last week, he praised Mappls, the Indian navigation app developed by MapmyIndia, describing it as a result of “decades of R&D” and calling it a robust domestic alternative to Google Maps. His appreciation aligns with India’s ongoing push for technological self-reliance and the development of indigenous digital ecosystems.

Earlier this month, Vembu also drew attention for his comments on Zoho’s messaging app, Arattai, which emphasizes user privacy. He highlighted that the app ensures end-to-end encryption and data protection, humorously noting that it’s private enough for “secret lovers or secret rebels against government — probably not.” He added, “End-to-end encryption is a technical feature and that is coming. Trust is far more precious, and we are earning that trust daily in the global market.”

Vembu’s temporary withdrawal from social media appears to be a deliberate move to return to the roots of Zoho’s success — “deep technological execution.” The timing is particularly notable, as Zoho recently secured key government contracts, including approval to power the National Informatics Centre (NIC) email system for the Indian government.

For many in India’s startup and tech community, Vembu’s decision underscores his authenticity and commitment to hands-on leadership. His message also reflects a broader philosophy that real innovation comes from focus, discipline, and execution, not just conversation.

By stepping back from the noise of social media, Sridhar Vembu is choosing to live by his own words — to build rather than just talk. In a world increasingly distracted by online engagement, his move serves as a reminder that deep work remains at the heart of meaningful technological progress.