When Zoho Corporation, one of the leading SaaS giants, started its rural office in Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, in 2011, it had hardly 10 employees. Later, the company established its campus in an old fruit pulp factory which now has around 900 professionals working in a non-urban area. While the workforce keeps growing, Kottarakara, located around 80 km from Tenkasi, is all set to follow suit.
As part of efforts to promote ‘work near home’ (WNH) culture and create high-end technical jobs in rural areas and Tier III cities, the Kerala Startup Mission and Institute of Human Resources Development are setting up the State’s first campus industrial park and R&D centre at the College of Engineering, Kottarakara. Zoho Corporation will offer training in cutting-edge technologies, including AI and robotics at the centre that opens next week.
