Zoho's Sridhar Vembu Discusses 'Ubiquitous Intelligence' at TechSparks 2026
At the annual Zoholics event in Chennai, Chief Scientist and Co-founder Sridhar Vembu presented his vision for 'ubiquitous intelligence.'
Rather than positioning AI purely as a standalone interface or 'super intelligence,' Vembu emphasized that 'UI is the new AI'—meaning embedded intelligence should seamlessly connect disparate workflows, applications, and business contexts under strong privacy guardrails.
Zoho introduced Zia Chat, a conversational AI interface that unifies data across systems while optimizing token efficiency to keep costs affordable.
Additionally, Zoho announced its expansion into vertical SaaS with seven industry-specific solutions tailored to specialized regulatory and operational demands.
Future of AI and Business
Zia Chat is designed to offer business users a seamless experience across systems, with the chat interface providing contextual depth tailored to specific industries, according to the company.
Zoho, which marks 30 years, says it has grown across geographies. Its India revenue increased 47% year-on-year in 2025.
The company has a presence across 150+ countries, employs more than 19,000 people worldwide, and has 150 million users across 60 applications.
Meet the Speakers at TechSparks 2026
TechSparks 2026, YourStory's flagship startup-tech summit, returns to Bengaluru from October 13–15 under the theme 'The New Tech Order.'
The event focuses on how artificial intelligence, deeptech, and next-generation digital infrastructure are reshaping technology development, market speed, enterprise scaling, and public governance.
Senior government figures including Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, and Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit will address state-level digital governance.
Industry leaders from pioneering sectors will showcase emerging tech commercialization, including space launch systems (AgniKul), urban air mobility (The ePlane Company), AI infrastructure (QpiAI), and clean energy (SolarSquare).
Top academic figures like Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala (IIT Madras / IIIT Hyderabad) alongside venture capitalists (Oister Global, Seafund) will detail how research translates into market-ready, funded ventures.
