Who Is Pramila Srinivasan? Zoho Founder’s US-Based Wife At Centre Of $1.7 Billion Divorce Battle

The high-profile divorce battle involving Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has returned to the spotlight following reports that a US court directed him to post a $1.7 billion (about Rs 15,278 crore) bond. Although Vembu’s lawyer has clarified that the order is currently under appeal, the development has renewed focus on the long-running legal dispute between the billionaire entrepreneur and his US-based wife, Pramila Srinivasan.

Srinivasan, who was married to Vembu for nearly three decades, has made serious allegations in court, including claims that he abandoned her and their autistic son and unlawfully transferred ownership and intellectual property linked to Zoho Corporation to family members in India. Vembu has strongly denied these allegations.

The divorce dispute

Vembu and Srinivasan lived in California for almost 30 years and have a 26-year-old son diagnosed with autism. Vembu began his career at Qualcomm before co-founding AdventNet in 1996 with his brothers and close associate Tony Thomas. The company was later renamed Zoho Corporation in 2009.

According to reports, tensions over control and ownership of Zoho’s assets contributed to the breakdown of the marriage. In 2019, Vembu relocated from Silicon Valley to his native village in Mathalamparai, Tamil Nadu. A source close to Srinivasan has said that Vembu informed her of his intention to seek a divorce via WhatsApp in late 2020, and formally filed for divorce in August 2021.

In court filings, Srinivasan alleged that Vembu transferred Zoho stakes and intellectual property through complex transactions to his siblings without her knowledge or consent, in violation of California’s community property laws. Under these laws, assets acquired during marriage are to be divided equally during divorce proceedings, regardless of where they are located.

“My husband not only abandoned his son and me with special needs in 2020… he decided to make fictitious transfers of our most valuable community asset to his family members without their paying any cash or other consideration,” Srinivasan said in her filings.

Vembu has rejected the claims, calling them false. In a detailed post on X in 2023, he said it was “complete fiction” to suggest he financially abandoned his wife and son, adding that he had continued to support them, transferred ownership of their house to Srinivasan, and ensured financial backing for her foundation.

Who is Pramila Srinivasan?

Srinivasan, 58, lives with her son in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born and raised in New York, she holds a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University. In 2007, she founded MedicalMine, a healthcare technology firm focused on electronic health records and practice management systems.

She is also the founder of The Brain Foundation, a non-profit organisation supporting autism research, treatment and community outreach. According to the foundation, Srinivasan oversees its day-to-day operations and volunteers, driven by her aim to advance research into therapies for developmental and mental health disorders.

The reported $1.7 billion bond order followed an ex parte application moved by Srinivasan in November 2024. However, Vembu’s lawyer, Christopher C. Melcher, said the January 2025 order is under appeal and described the allegations against his client as “outrageously false.” The divorce case, now spanning several years, continues to see legal twists as proceedings unfold in the US courts.