Why build a server from scratch?

What does it take to build your own server from scratch?

When Zoho set out to build Nathu La, its fully in-house designed server platform, the goal wasn't just better hardware. It was about owning every layer of the stack, so customers never have to worry about what's underneath.

In this conversation, Mickey Stanley sits down with Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, Head of Zoho Labs, to pull back the curtain on one of Zoho's most ambitious long-term bets. Here's what they covered:

Why Zoho built its own server

It started in 2020, when global supply chains were showing the dangers of over-reliance. Zoho, private, bootstrapped, and built for the long game, saw an opportunity to invest in something most SaaS companies would never attempt.

What it means for customers

Traditional server costs have tripled or quadrupled in just the last six months. By owning its infrastructure, Zoho can keep pricing stable and predictable, something it has done for 30 years and intends to keep doing.

How it actually works

The efficiency gains behind Nathu La's 12–18% lower power consumption and 20–30% lower TCO come down to three things: eliminating software bloat, mechanical optimization for heat dissipation, and workload-based hardware configurations tailored to Zoho's specific applications.

"This is our first foray into hardware. The learnings we have are going to be given to our customers over the coming years." — Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, Head of Zoho Labs.

Here's the full interview: