Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu highlights AI tools to empower rural students

Empowering Rural Minds with AI Innovation

Sridhar Vembu, the co-founder of Zoho Corporation, made a compelling case for harnessing artificial intelligence to uplift education in India's rural areas during his address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

Speaking to a gathering of industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers, Vembu underscored how AI could serve as a powerful ally for teachers and students alike, particularly those in underserved regions. He pointed out that Zoho's own experiences with grassroots education have given the company unique insights into the challenges faced by rural learners.

Vembu's vision centers on deploying specialized AI models designed for specific educational needs, rather than relying on broad, general-purpose systems. These purpose-built tools, he explained, can help teachers bridge gaps in foundational learning, making instruction more personalized and effective.

For students, AI opens doors to hands-on projects that foster creativity and practical skills, turning abstract concepts into tangible achievements.

This approach aligns with Zoho's commitment to building capabilities from the ground up, serving a student base that is largely from rural backgrounds.

AI as a Catalyst for Practical Learning and Projects

One of the standout examples Vembu shared was how students are now tinkering with small-scale custom electric vehicles, a project that blends engineering, innovation, and real-world application.

AI acts here not as a replacement for human effort, but as a booster that accelerates understanding and experimentation. Teachers can use these tools to tailor lessons, track progress, and intervene where students struggle most, especially in foundational literacy and numeracy challenges.

We serve a predominantly rural student population, and so we have seen education from the ground up. The FLN challenge is where I'm most excited to use AI tools: to help teachers better reach students. These are purpose-built, small models that can solve a specific problem well. We encourage our students to build projects... Nowadays, we are even building small-scale, custom EVs. Here, the way AI is working is as a massive learning booster.

Vembu emphasized that such initiatives democratize access to advanced learning, allowing rural youth to compete on a global stage. By integrating AI into everyday education, schools can nurture problem-solvers who address local issues with innovative solutions.

This hands-on methodology not only boosts retention but also instills confidence, preparing students for a tech-driven future.

India's Youth Lead the AI Charge Amid Job Concerns

Beyond education, Vembu highlighted India's demographic advantage, with its vast youth population driving the nation's rapid embrace of AI. He described India as having the most AI-enthusiastic people worldwide, adopting the technology faster than any other country.

In software development, for instance, AI is yielding massive productivity gains, pushing engineers to focus on customer-centric solutions and creating new job opportunities in unexpected sectors.

Addressing fears of AI-induced job losses, Vembu remained optimistic, noting that an open economy and adaptive workforce would spawn roles in unpredictable areas, much like quick-commerce services emerged from smartphones.

He envisions intelligence becoming a commodity available to all, with the real edge lying in smarter algorithms and applications. The summit itself, running from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, underscores India's ambition to position itself as a global AI hub, blending government support with private innovation.

In parallel efforts, government plans to update curricula across 500 universities with AI infrastructure, including GPUs and specialized training, signal a systemic push to build a robust talent pipeline. Vembu’s insights resonate with this momentum, painting a picture of inclusive growth where rural students are not left behind.

In summary, Sridhar Vembu’s call to action at the India AI Impact Summit spotlights AI’s potential to transform rural education through targeted tools, practical projects, and boosted learning outcomes. His optimism about India’s youth and job creation underscores a balanced view of technology’s role in societal progress, urging stakeholders to invest in purpose-built solutions for equitable advancement.