Zoho

Zoho is a leading Indian SaaS company, renowned for its suite of business, productivity, and collaboration tools. Founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu, Zoho is known for its “Made in India, Made for the World” philosophy, rural development initiatives, and a unique, learning-focused work culture. Zoho values practical skills, long-term growth, and hires from all backgrounds.

Headquarters: Chennai, India
Employees: 12,000+ globally

Industry: SaaS, Cloud Computing
Revenue: $1+ Billion USD (2023)

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Zoho Eligibility Criteria (2025)

Academic Requirements

Marks: No strict cutoff; Zoho welcomes candidates from all backgrounds. Consistent academic record is a plus, but not mandatory
Degree: B.E./B.Tech/MCA/M.Sc (any branch/discipline)
Year of Study: Final year students and recent graduates (within 1 year)
Backlogs: No active backlogs preferred, but 1 active backlog may be allowed (case-by-case)

Branch Eligibility

All Branches: Open to all engineering and science streams (CS, IT, ECE, Mechanical, Civil, etc.)
Programming Focus: C programming is mandatory; C++/Java is a plus
Experience: Freshers and up to 1 year experience

Additional Criteria

Programming Skills: Must be able to code in C (core requirement)
Gap Years: Maximum 1 year gap between 10th and graduation
Course Type: Full-time degrees only
Nationality: Indian citizens only

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Zoho Placement Papers

Zoho Placement Papers 2024

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Zoho Placement Papers 2025

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Zoho Placement Process (2025)

Application Timeline

Zoho conducts both campus and off-campus drives. Off-campus drives are held monthly at the Chennai office and occasionally in rural offices (e.g., Tenkasi). Applications are accepted year-round.

Application Methods

Campus Recruitment

College Visits: Through placement cells at engineering colleges across India.
Direct Registration: Via college coordinators or Zoho’s official campus drive announcements.

Off-Campus Drives

Zoho Careers Portal: Apply online for monthly drives.
Walk-in Drives: Attend open drives at Zoho’s Chennai or Tenkasi offices (pre-registration required).

Internal Referrals

Referrals: Employee referral program for both campus and experienced hiring.

Zoho Interview Rounds (2025)

1. Resume Screening (2-5 days)

   • No strict CGPA cutoff; focus on programming background, projects, and C skills

2. Aptitude & C Programming Test (90-120 min, pen-paper or online)

   • Section 1: Quantitative aptitude (10-15 questions, no negative marking)
   • Section 2: C output prediction (10-15 questions, loops, pointers, arrays)
   • Section 3: C coding (2-3 short programs, e.g., pattern printing, array logic)
   • Note: No MCQs; all answers are descriptive or code-based

3. Basic Programming Round (2-3 hours, pen-paper or system)

   • 5 coding problems (pattern printing, string/array manipulation, logic building)
   • Language: C (mandatory), C++/Java (optional)
   • Must solve at least 3/5 for shortlisting

4. Advanced Programming/Application Round (90-120 min)

   • Build a mini-application (e.g., address book, simple banking system, quiz app)
   • Focus: modular code, user input, file handling, basic UI (console)
   • Evaluation: completeness, code structure, logic, and usability

5. Technical Interview (30-45 min)

   • Code review of previous rounds
   • Deep dive into C concepts (pointers, memory, recursion)
   • Data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues)
   • OOP basics (if C++/Java used)
   • Project/internship discussion

6. HR Interview (20-30 min)

   • Personal background, family, relocation willingness (Chennai/Tenkasi)
   • Why Zoho? Career goals, learning mindset
   • Communication and culture fit

Timeline from Application to Offer

Typical Timeline

Total Duration: 2-3 weeks from application to offer letter (can be faster for exceptional candidates)

Phase	Duration	Key Activities
Resume Screening	2-5 days	Initial evaluation
Written Test	1 day	Aptitude & C programming assessment
Programming Rounds	1-2 days	Basic & advanced programming
Technical Interview	1 day	Code review, C concepts
HR Interview	Same day	Final interview
Result Declaration	2-3 days	Offer letter, background check

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Recent Zoho Interview Questions (2025)

C Output & Coding

C Output Prediction

Pointers & Arrays:

int arr[] = {1,2,3,4,5};
int *ptr = arr + 2;
printf("%d", *(ptr+1));
// Output: 4

Loops & Recursion:

int func(int n) {
  if(n <= 1) return 1;
  return n * func(n-2);
}
printf("%d", func(5));
// Output: 15

Nested Loops:

for(int i=1;i<=3;i++){
  for(int j=1;j<=i;j++){
    printf("%d", i*j);
  }
  printf("\\n");
}
// Output:
// 1
// 24
// 369

Basic Coding

Pattern Printing:

// Print pyramid pattern
//    *
//   ***
//  *****
// *******

Array Manipulation:

// Sort odd-indexed elements descending, even-indexed ascending
// Input: [13,2,4,15,12,10,5]
// Output: [13,2,12,10,5,15,4]

String Processing:

// Remove vowels from string, but if 2+ vowels together, ignore all
// Input: "beautiful"
// Output: "btfl"

Application Round

Mini Project:

• Address Book: Add/search/delete contacts, file save/load
• Banking System: Create account, deposit/withdraw, transaction history
• Quiz App: Multiple choice quiz, score calculation, file-based questions

Practice More Zoho Interview Questions →

Technical Concepts

C Programming Fundamentals

Pointers: Declaration, arithmetic, pointer to pointer, array of pointers
Arrays & Strings: Manipulation, searching, sorting, string functions
Loops & Recursion: Nested loops, recursive functions
Functions: Parameter passing, return types, scope
Structures: Declaration, nested, array of structures

Data Structures

Arrays: Linear/binary search, sorting
Linked Lists: Singly, doubly, circular, operations
Stacks & Queues: Array/linked list implementation
Trees: Binary trees, traversals
Basic Algorithms: Bubble/selection/insertion sort

System/Application Design

Application Architecture: Modular code, file handling, menu-driven UI
Database Design: Simple file-based storage, basic SQL (optional)
User Interface: Console-based, clear prompts
Error Handling: Input validation, edge cases

HR Questions

Personal Background

Tell me about yourself (education, projects, interests, career goals)
Sample Answer: “I am a final year Mechanical Engineering student with a passion for programming. I started coding in C during my first year and have built several mini-projects, including an address book and a quiz app. I enjoy solving logical problems and am eager to work in a product-based company like Zoho where I can learn and grow. My long-term goal is to become a full-stack developer and contribute to innovative products.”

Family background and support system (Zoho values long-term commitment)
Sample Answer: “I come from a supportive family that values education and hard work. My parents have encouraged me to pursue my interests in technology. They are comfortable with me relocating for my career, and I am committed to building a long-term future with Zoho.”

Technical Interest

Why programming? When did you start coding?
Sample Answer: “I started coding in my first year of college out of curiosity. I quickly realized I enjoy the logical thinking and creativity involved in programming. Building small applications and seeing them work gives me a sense of accomplishment.”

What interests you about software development?
Sample Answer: “I love solving real-world problems through software. The process of understanding user needs, designing solutions, and implementing them in code excites me. I am particularly interested in building applications that are simple, efficient, and user-friendly.”

Company Specific

Why Zoho? (product-based, “Made in India”, rural offices, learning culture)
Sample Answer: “I admire Zoho’s philosophy of building world-class products from India and its focus on innovation and learning. I am drawn to Zoho’s unique work culture, rural offices, and the opportunity to work on diverse products. I want to be part of a company that values skill and growth over just academic marks.”

Are you willing to relocate to Chennai or Tenkasi?
Sample Answer: “Yes, I am open to relocating to Chennai or Tenkasi. I see it as an opportunity to immerse myself in Zoho’s culture, learn from experienced teams, and contribute to the company’s growth.”

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Preparation Strategy (Zoho-Specific)

What Zoho Looks For

Zoho emphasizes practical C programming, hands-on coding, and the ability to build real applications. Theoretical knowledge and high marks are less important than coding skill and learning mindset.

C Programming Mastery

Priority: Critical
Time Allocation: 50%

• Master pointers, arrays, strings, recursion
• Practice C output prediction and logic questions
• Write code on paper and system (no IDE help)

Programming Practice

Priority: Critical
Time Allocation: 30%

• Solve pattern printing, array, and string problems daily
• Build small console applications (address book, calculator, etc.)
• Focus on logic and code clarity

System/Application Design

Priority: High
Time Allocation: 15%

• Practice building mini-projects (file handling, modularity)
• Learn to design user-friendly, menu-driven programs

Aptitude & Communication

Priority: Medium
Time Allocation: 5%

• Practice basic aptitude (quant, reasoning)
• Prepare for HR questions and company research

Study Plan

3 Months Before

• Master C programming fundamentals (pointers, arrays, strings)
• Practice 50+ C output questions
• Learn basic data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues)
• Build small console applications
• Practice pattern printing and logic problems
• Study basic aptitude topics

1 Month Before

• Solve Zoho-style programming problems daily
• Build applications (address book, quiz, etc.)
• Mock tests for C and aptitude
• Review OOP basics (if using C++/Java)
• Practice code explanation
• Prepare 2-3 mini-projects for discussion

1 Week Before

• Review common Zoho C questions
• Practice coding on paper
• Prepare HR answers
• Study Zoho’s company background
• Practice time management
• Rest and stay confident

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Compensation & Benefits (India, 2025)

Salary Ranges 2025-2026

All figures represent total annual compensation (base, bonus, and benefits). Numbers are in INR.

Software Engineer Roles

Level	Experience	Base Salary	Total Package	Typical Background
MTS	New Grad	₹4-5 LPA	₹5-7 LPA	Fresh graduates, all branches
Software Engineer	1-2 years	₹6-8 LPA	₹7-10 LPA	1-2 years experience
Senior Software Engineer	3-5 years	₹10-14 LPA	₹12-18 LPA	Senior devs, team leads
Staff Engineer	6+ years	₹16-22 LPA	₹20-28 LPA	Architects, specialists

Other Popular Roles

Role	Level	Total Package	Requirements
Technical Support Engineer	Entry	₹3-5 LPA	Communication, tech aptitude
QA Engineer	Entry-Mid	₹4-7 LPA	Testing, detail-oriented
Business Analyst	Mid	₹6-10 LPA	Business, analytics
Product Manager	Mid-Senior	₹12-20 LPA	Product, tech background

Benefits & Perks

• Flexible Hours: Choose your start/end times
• Health Insurance: Medical for employee & family
• Food & Transport: Subsidized meals, transport
• Learning & Development: Internal training, certifications
• Work-Life Balance: Family-friendly policies
• Profit Sharing: Annual bonus
• Career Growth: Clear promotion paths

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Recent Updates & Trends (2025)

Hiring Trends 2025

More Campus Drives: Zoho is visiting more tier-2/3 colleges

Programming Focus: C coding and application-building are key

All Branches Welcome: Equal opportunity for all streams

Process Changes

No MCQs: All questions are descriptive/code-based

Longer Programming Rounds: More time for hands-on coding

Advanced Application Round: Build real mini-projects

New Initiatives

Monthly Off-Campus Drives: Regular Chennai/Tenkasi drives

Skill-Based Hiring: Focus on coding, not marks

Fast-Track Offers: 2-3 week process

Company Growth

Product Expansion: 50+ products, global reach

Rural Offices: Tenkasi, Renigunta, etc.

Learning Culture: Internal mobility, upskilling

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Ready to start your Zoho preparation? Focus on C programming, hands-on coding, and building real applications. Zoho values practical skills, learning mindset, and long-term growth over academic marks.

Pro Tip: Practice writing code on paper and building end-to-end mini-projects. Zoho wants developers who can solve real problems, not just answer MCQs.