💥The Myth of Reinvention Without Innovation
In a nation that once dreamed of digital sovereignty — of homegrown tools that could rival Silicon Valley giants — sridhar Vembu was the poster boy of that vision. The Zoho founder, often hailed as India’s answer to Big Tech’s monopoly, stood for innovation rooted in self-reliance.
But now, he’s gearing up to challenge Paytm and PhonePe with his latest venture — Zoho Pay. And let’s be brutally honest: this move feels less like bold innovation and more like desperate imitation.
Because india doesn’t need another UPI app.
It needs the next big idea.
🏦 The UPI Space Is Not a Market — It’s a Monolith
UPI isn’t an open frontier anymore — it’s a fortified kingdom ruled by a few giants. paytm, PhonePe, google Pay, and even amazon Pay have carved up the space so tightly that new entrants barely have room to breathe.
Users have already decided who they trust with their money, their data, and their day-to-day convenience.
Trying to enter now is like joining a marathon that ended five years ago — and expecting a medal.
Even the government-backed BHIM app couldn’t reclaim space once dominated by private players.
So, what exactly will Zoho Pay offer that others don’t?
📱 Remember Arattai? Exactly.
Before Zoho Pay, there was Arattai — Zoho’s ambitious whatsapp alternative.
It was marketed as India’s own secure chat app — a patriotic alternative built on “swadeshi” values.
And yet, within a month, it faded into wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>digital oblivion.
Because nationalism can inspire downloads, but it can’t sustain engagement.
people use whatsapp not because of the flag behind it, but because it works seamlessly, every day.
The same rule applies to UPI. You can’t just slap the word “Made in India” and expect millions to switch overnight.
🧠 india Needs Inventors, Not Copycats
It’s ironic — the man who once spoke about “building, not borrowing” is now chasing what’s already been done to death.
If sridhar Vembu truly wants to revolutionize wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>digital india, why not create something entirely new?
India’s next leap won’t come from another wallet or another chat app.
It’ll come from solving real problems — rural connectivity, AI in vernacular education, decentralized financial systems, privacy-first operating systems — the fields where true innovation still breathes.
But instead, we’re stuck in a loop of “Me Too” products wearing the costume of patriotism.
💣 The Harsh Truth: You Can’t Force Utility Through Sentiment
Let’s face it — users don’t wake up thinking, “Which indian app should I use today?”
They think, “What works best for me?”
That’s where Zoho’s strategy collapses.
Because utility, not emotion, drives adoption.
You can make people download your app out of pride.
But you can’t make them use it every day out of guilt.
And that’s the problem Zoho Pay will face — the same problem Arattai faced — the same problem every “nationalistic clone” faces when it forgets that patriotism doesn’t pay bills or transfer money faster.
⚡ The Verdict: Innovation or Extinction
sridhar Vembu has the brains, the vision, and the credibility to reshape India’s wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>digital economy. But with Zoho Pay, he’s treading dangerously close to irrelevance masked as innovation.
In a market overflowing with apps that already do it better, this move risks becoming another case study in how great minds waste potential chasing crowded dreams.
If Vembu wants to lead India’s tech future, he shouldn’t be asking:
“How can I compete with Paytm?”
He should be asking:
“What’s next after UPI?”
Because the future won’t belong to those who replicate.
It will belong to those who reimagine.
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