Srinivasan, in his application in November 2024, had claimed that Vembu had secretly transferred a substantial portion of his shares in US-based Zoho Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chennai-based Zoho Corporation Private Limited (ZCPL), to an entity owned by Sridhar's long-term partner.

Zoho owner Sridhar Vembu is once again in the news. This time, news has emerged regarding his divorce. The case is ongoing in a US court. If the divorce goes through and court orders are followed, it could become one of the most expensive divorces in India. Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has been ordered by a US court to deposit bonds worth $1.7 billion, or over Rs 15,000 crore, in the ongoing divorce case. According to a news report, the California court took this step citing concerns about the potential impact on property transfer and marital property division following the litigation. Vembu's ex-wife, Pramila Srinivasan, is an academic, entrepreneur, and healthcare technology sector resident in the US.

According to The News Minute, this order was passed in January 2025. The California Superior Court appointed a receiver to oversee the Zoho entities and prohibited a major corporate restructuring. According to The News Minute, the order passed by the California Superior Court stated that the record of this case clearly demonstrates that the petitioner (Sridhar) has disregarded the respondent's (Pramila) interests in community assets and violated the law, and that Zoho Corporation, T&V Holdings, Inc., Tony Thomas, ZCPL, and related entities will act at the direction of the petitioner to advance the petitioner's interests and to the detriment of the respondent's interests.

Controversy over Zoho assets

Srinivasan claimed in his application in November 2024 that Vembu had secretly transferred a substantial portion of his shares in US-based Zoho Corporation (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chennai-based Zoho Corporation Private Limited (ZCPL)) to an entity owned by Sridhar's long-time associate. This transaction was carried out in three phases. "I supported Sridhar with my income so that he could quit his job and focus on his business," Pramila said, as reported by The News Minute. "I was deeply shocked to learn that only after filing for divorce did I learn that he claimed to own only 5 percent of the company he had created during our marriage, and that his siblings held the majority stake in the company," she said.

What is Vembu's net worth?

However, Vembu refuted this claim, insisting that despite serving as Zoho's co-founder and long-time CEO, his stake in Zoho has always been only 5 percent. According to the Forbes 2025 list, Vembu and his siblings (who now own the majority of the company's shares (over 80 percent)) have a net worth of $6 billion. After nearly thirty years of marriage and raising a son in the US, Vembu returned to India in late 2019. Divorce proceedings began in 2021.

Who is Pramila Srinivasan?

On LinkedIn, Pramila Srinivasan describes herself as an academic, entrepreneur, and health tech expert based in the US. She holds a PhD in electrical and computer engineering and has worked extensively in health tech, specifically electronic health records and special care systems. Her career also includes advocacy for healthcare access and digital infrastructure. She also founded The Brain Foundation, a US-based nonprofit organization dedicated to autism research, treatment, and community support.

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