Zoho launched Zoho Classes, an AI-powered education platform tailored for schools, colleges, and universities in India. The platform, announced on July 15, 2026, integrates a large language model designed specifically for academic workflows and curriculum-based use cases. Zoho Classes will be free for central and state government educational institutions and individual teachers managing up to 100 students, while private institutions will be charged for the service, according to livemint.com.
The development of Zoho Classes involved creating a vertical SaaS product that leverages AI to enhance teaching and learning experiences. The platform aims to streamline academic processes by providing tools that align with institutional curricula. Zoho’s Chennai-based team focused on building a large language model customized for education, enabling personalized and efficient academic interactions. This launch marks Zoho’s deeper push into sector-specific SaaS solutions, as reported by livemint.com.
Zoho’s entry into the AI-powered education SaaS market comes amid growing demand for digital learning tools in India. The platform’s free access for government institutions aligns with national education digitization efforts, while the paid model for private schools reflects a sustainable business approach. This move positions Zoho alongside other SaaS providers expanding into education technology, a sector experiencing rapid growth due to increased adoption of AI and cloud services, according to livemint.com.
Zoho Classes’ rollout on July 15, 2026, sets a precedent for AI integration in Indian educational institutions. The company’s decision to offer free access to government bodies and individual educators managing smaller classes could accelerate adoption across public education sectors. The platform’s impact will be measurable in the upcoming academic year as institutions begin implementation, livemint.com reported.