'Zoho-Branded Firecrackers' This Diwali? Sridhar Vembu Reacts On Social Media

This Diwali brought an unexpected spark of humour for Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu, after a photo of Zoho-branded firecrackers went viral on social media, leaving both tech enthusiasts and festive celebrators amused.

The image, originally shared by Praval Singh the Vice President, Marketing and Customer Experience at Zoho, on X, quickly caught the attention of netizens who flooded the post with reactions, jokes and festive wishes. Singh captioned it, “Not all fireworks are made in Sivakasi. Some are made in Tenkasi. ;) Someone literally made @Zoho branded firecrackers this Diwali!”

The tongue-in-cheek post cleverly referenced Sivakasi, the Tamil Nadu town famous as India’s firecracker capital, while highlighting Tenkasi, where Zoho established its first rural office — a cornerstone of the company’s “rural revival” philosophy.

Vembu himself joined in on the fun, reposting the image with a warm festive note: “Happy Diwali to everyone. Praval got forwarded this photo.” His good-humoured response only added to the festive cheer, with users praising his humility and wit.

The post quickly gained traction, with users chiming in with jokes and greetings. One user quipped, “Wait till you find Tesla and SpaceX crackers.” Another wrote, “If firecracker manufacturers are copying your brand, your business has arrived. If autowalas are putting your pictures behind their auto, you’ve arrived as an actor.”

Some users also pointed out the pride in seeing a homegrown Indian tech brand inspire such recognition. “Instead of mentioning that this is a product made in India, they have mentioned it as Zoho,” remarked one commenter, celebrating the company’s ‘Made in India’ ethos.

Away from the lighthearted social media chatter, Sridhar Vembu also shared a more serious reflection ahead of Diwali — his views on gold and global financial stability. Expressing caution over the rising prices of the precious metal, he noted that gold is signalling deep-rooted market stress.

“I don't think of gold as an investment, I think of it as insurance against systemic financial risk.,” Vembu said.

“Ultimately finance is all about trust and when debt levels reach this high, trust breaks down..” he added.