Blog

SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) major Zoho has introduced Vikra—a seller app on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) network and Zoho IoT, a low-code platform enabling support businesses to build and deploy custom IoT (Internet of Things) solutions.

The announcements were made at Zoholics India, the company’s annual user conference. The Chennai-based company said it recorded 31% customer growth in 2023 in India.

“We remain steadfast in our product R&D efforts, with a focus on effectively enhancing our platform through innovating and launching new products like Vikra and Zoho IoT while also integrating AI capabilities across the tech stack. We have steadily advanced on our contextual intelligence vision, applying AI technology to enhance customer experience and offer deeper insights,” said Sridhar Vembu, CEO and Co-founder, Zoho Corp.

“This commitment to continuous improvement is helping us become a preferred partner for large enterprises and government institutions across India. As businesses increasingly seek value from their software solutions and larger organisations aim to reduce bloat, we’re seeing significant growth in India, which has now become our second-largest market,” he added.

Ecommerce holds significant potential to empower MSMEs in India, but they currently account for only 7% of the retail market. This gap largely stems from small businesses facing challenges with technology and high marketplace commission fees.

Built on Zoho’s finance and operations platform, Vikra acts as a key link between businesses and India’s vast market through the ONDC network. With the app, businesses can easily join the ONDC network, set up stores, create product catalogs, and start selling through buyer apps like Paytm, Ola, and Snapdeal.

Instant order notifications via WhatsApp and SMS ensure quick fulfillment, with delivery options including self-delivery or using partners like Delhivery for local and national orders.

Some of its additional features include personalised support for onboarding, catalog creation, operations management, payment reconciliation, and customer dispute resolution.

Zoho has also launched Zoho IoT, a customisable low-code platform designed to collect and manage IoT device data in real-time, providing businesses with insights and streamlined operational analysis. The platform will help organisations to automate processes and make data-driven decisions without needing extensive technical skills.

It offers pre-built solutions across various industries, including Industrial IoT for tracking productivity and machine uptime, Smart Buildings for unified management of assets and facilities, and Energy Management for monitoring consumption and improving efficiency.

The platform also provides end-to-end capabilities and integrations, such as Point Solutions for remote management of challenges like gas monitoring and indoor air quality, and Connected OEMs that enhance efficiency and real-time insights with smart products, allowing businesses to offer remote monitoring as a value-added service.

In addition, Zoho is enhancing its AI capabilities by developing and deploying various language models—narrow, small, medium, and large—built for specific use cases across its products. This approach helps the company to support enterprises gain actionable insights for decision-making by incorporating essential business context.