Popular video conferencing app Zoom is planning to make a significant investment in India over the next five years and ramp up hiring, a top company executive said as he sought to shed any links of Zoom with China ahead of competition from billionaire Mukesh Ambani's just-launched JioMeet.
Zoom booms as coronavirus pandemic drives millions to its video service
"We do recognise that as we continue to introduce ourselves to the Indian market, there has been some confusion about facts. We want to work through these."
Zoom is a US company that is publicly traded on the NASDAQ, he added.
Zoom's platform offers 40 minutes of video calling for free.
In a blog on Medium, Sankarlingam said India is and will continue to be an important market for Zoom, and that the company is excited to build on the exciting opportunities it sees in the region.
He added that Zoom is helping Indian businesses, government agencies, communities, school teachers, and other users stay connected.
Sankarlingam emphasised that the company is keen to engage with stakeholders in India in the coming months to support key priorities such as Digital India, StartUp India and Skills India, as well as introducing them to Zoom.
Besides him, two of Zoom's top executives - Aparna Bawa (Chief Operating Officer) and Sunil Madan (Corporate Chief Information Officer) - are of Indian descent, he noted.
Sankarlingam pointed that there were some "disheartening" misconceptions, especially those about Zoom and China.
"Zoom has been clear about its identity: Zoom is a US company, publicly traded on the NASDAQ, founded and headquartered in San Jose, California," he explained. He added that like many global technology companies, Zoom has offices in China operated by subsidiaries of the US parent company.
Sankarlingam said Zoom understands its obligation to users and takes security and privacy "incredibly seriously". The company had announced a 90-day plan during the course of which Zoom released over 100 new features focused on privacy, safety, and security.
In April, the Home Ministry had warned government officials against holding meetings on Zoom amid security concerns regarding the platform. The company had stated that it was in discussions with the government on the matter.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)
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