Sridhar Vembu highlights rising number of Indian engineers in rural Japan amid shrinking population

Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu has highlighted the growing presence of Indian engineers in rural Japan, saying they are increasingly working in regions facing acute talent shortages due to a rapidly shrinking population. Sharing his observations from a visit to Japan's Wakayama prefecture, Vembu also said the experience reinforced his belief that world-class industries can thrive outside major cities.

Indian engineers working in rural Japan

In a post on X, Vembu said Wakayama, a rural prefecture with a population of about 900,000, is grappling with a declining population, making it difficult for local industries to attract skilled workers.

"The main challenge facing Wakayama industry is finding talent due to the rapidly shrinking population. There are a rising number of Indian engineers working here," he wrote.




His remarks suggest that Indian engineering talent is increasingly finding opportunities in Japan's rural industrial regions as companies seek to address workforce shortages.

Global manufacturers in a rural prefecture
Vembu said he visited Wakayama, located more than 100 kilometres from Osaka airport, on an industrial tour. During the visit, he toured a leading industrial inkjet printer company with around 600 employees, a leading electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing equipment manufacturer employing about 70 people, and a company that invented instant photo printing technology and is now reinventing itself in the medical equipment sector.

He noted that one of the manufacturing facilities was situated next to agricultural fields, highlighting that advanced manufacturing can flourish even in remote rural locations.

'World-class industry can be in rural areas'
Reflecting on the visit, Vembu said the companies he toured had chosen to remain in rural areas and had built globally competitive businesses there.

"World class industry can be in rural areas," he wrote, adding that he had travelled to Wakayama because these companies were naturally inclined to operate from rural locations.