Zoho, the Chennai-headquartered global technology company, announced the launch of two innovative platforms: Vikra, a seller application on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) network, and Zoho IoT, a user-friendly low-code platform for building and deploying custom IoT (Internet of Things) solutions.
Vikra: A Seller Application on ONDC
Vikra is designed to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India, which currently represent only 7% of the overall retail market.
This stark disparity is largely due to the complexities and challenges smaller businesses face when navigating technology and marketplace platforms, including high commission fees.
Vikra aims to bridge this gap by providing a frictionless commerce experience across India.
The application allows businesses to easily onboard to the ONDC network, set up stores, create product catalogs, and start selling through popular buyer apps like Paytm, Ola, and Snapdeal.
With Vikra, sellers can receive instant order notifications via WhatsApp and SMS, facilitating quick order fulfillment.
Moreover, businesses have the flexibility to choose between self-delivery or leveraging delivery partners like Delhivery for both local and national distribution.
The app also offers personalized support for onboarding, catalog management, payment reconciliation, and customer dispute resolution.
Built on Zoho’s robust finance and operations platform, Vikra ensures seamless interoperability with applications such as Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, and Zoho Commerce.
This integration allows businesses to efficiently manage finances, handle tax obligations, streamline inventory processes, and establish a comprehensive e-commerce presence with minimal investment and effort.
Vikra is available for immediate use, with an introductory seller app fee set at 1% of the total transaction amount for every sale.
Zoho IoT: A Low-Code Platform for Real-Time Insights
Zoho IoT provides businesses with a powerful yet customizable low-code platform to collect and manage IoT device data in real time.
The platform simplifies the process of automating workflows and making data-driven decisions, allowing organizations to harness insights without requiring extensive technical expertise.
Featuring integrated AI capabilities, Zoho IoT enables businesses to transform data into actionable insights, predict system outages, identify anomalies, and forecast trends. This empowers organizations to optimize operations and enhance customer experiences.
The platform caters to various industries with pre-built solutions, including:
- Industrial IoT: Helps users track and manage shop floor productivity and machine uptime while reducing maintenance costs for high-value assets.
- Smart Buildings: Offers a unified system to manage and monitor assets, tenants, energy, and facilities.
- Energy Management: Enables users to control energy usage by monitoring consumption patterns and implementing efficiency measures.
Zoho IoT also features end-to-end capabilities and integrations with offerings such as Point Solutions for remote management and control, addressing specific challenges like gas monitoring and indoor air quality management.
Businesses can choose from flexible pay-as-you-grow plans ranging from Rs. 2,940 for up to 25 devices to Rs. 29,940 for up to 500 devices, with scalability options into thousands of devices.
Zoho’s Growth Trajectory in India
Zoho’s growth in India has been driven by increasing demand for unified, scalable, and flexible technology solutions.
Key products fueling revenue growth include Zoho One, Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and Zoho People. In terms of customer growth, Zoho Books and Zoho Workplace are leading the charge.
The sectors driving this growth encompass IT hardware and services, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and non-IT professional services.
Additionally, Zoho is enhancing its AI capabilities by developing multiple language models tailored for specific use cases within various products.
The company’s approach emphasizes gathering actionable insights while ensuring strong privacy practices, as AI models are not trained on consumer data.
With the launch of Vikra and Zoho IoT, Zoho continues to reinforce its commitment to providing innovative solutions that empower businesses, helping them navigate the digital landscape with greater ease and efficiency.
