Sridhar Vembu, who recently stepped down as CEO of Zoho Corporation, addressed rumors about his potential involvement in politics, dismissing them as unfounded.

“I heard there’s a ‘news’ item circulating about me joining politics. I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard this!” Vembu, 57, wrote in a post on X on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Vembu announced his new role as “Chief Scientist” at Zoho, where he will focus on research and development (R&D). He mentioned that next week he is flying to Austin, Texas, to present Zoho’s AI R&D strategy to a group of industry analysts.

Clarifying the speculation, he said, “I have an incredibly demanding role in deep tech R&D right now, and there’s simply no time for politics. Furthermore, I haven’t had any discussions with anyone about entering politics.”

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He concluded, “I hope that clears things up. Now, back to work!”

Regarding his decision to step down from the CEO position, Vembu shared that it was in response to the pressing challenges and opportunities in AI, as well as his personal mission to promote rural development.

Shailesh Kumar Davey, a co-founder of Zoho, will assume the role of group CEO, with Tony Thomas leading Zoho US, Rajesh Ganesan heading the ManageEngine division, and Mani Vembu overseeing Zoho.com.

Earlier this month, Vembu faced backlash for supporting IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti’s views on the purported benefits of cow urine, suggesting that modern science was only beginning to recognize what traditional wisdom has long known.

Zoho, founded in 1996 as AdventNet, Inc. in Chennai, has grown into a leading tech company.