Zoho's CSO: McAllen reminds me of Singapore

MCALLEN, Texas - Vijay Sundaram, chief strategy officer of Zoho Corporation, has given the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service an exclusive interview about his company’s decision to set up an office in McAllen, Texas.Zoho is a global software development and technology company based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Its U.S. headquarters was previously in California but is now in Austin, Texas. Its new office in the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone currently has 25 employees—with plans to the double headcount by next year. In his interview, Sundaram spoke about the culture of Zoho and how it shuns the major metropolitan areas. He said the company is happy to set up operations in provincial areas and train the local workforce. He also spoke about how he and the Zoho leadership found something special in McAllen - a willingness of various stakeholders to work together in order to make the company welcome. The interview took place on April 20 at the official announcement that Zoho was launching an office in McAllen.“The idea was to find places where we can be rooted in the community. So… we didn’t even know McAllen, until not too long ago. And when we came in here and met people, saw the Valley, see the educational system, saw the willingness of the community to engage… in many ways… I have been in business for a number of years and an entrepreneur myself. But, 25 years ago, and that is what today’s session reminded me of, 25 years ago I was in the city of Singapore, trying to set up an office for my then company. And I was impressed with how different parts of the city came together. There were financiers, there was economic development, there was education, there was the political leadership, all coming together to welcome us. Twenty five years later I am seeing that here. I haven’t it since. So, I feel like the notion of a community putting all these elements together to promote it, it is unusual. It does not usually happen in America,” Sundaram said.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.