{
  "id": 14201160,
  "title": "Zoho freezes annual salary hikes as AI costs rise, software market slows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/zoho-freezes-annual-salary-hikes-as-ai-costs-rise-software-market",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-13T12:21:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Standard IN",
    "slug": "business-standard-in",
    "url": "https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/zoho-freezes-annual-salary-hikes-as-ai-costs-rise-software-market-slows-126101301006_1.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Founder Sridhar Vembu says a fourfold rise in server prices, higher AI expenses and an uncertain software market have forced Zoho to cut marketing spending and freeze annual pay hikes",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times",
        "title": "'Pray for us,' Vembu says as Zoho skips pay hikes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/pray-for-us-vembu-says-as-zoho-skips-pay-hikes",
        "published": "2026-10-13T05:31:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Zoho halts 2026 salary hikes, looks to ‘avoid mass layoffs’ amid surging AI costs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/zoho-halts-2026-salary-hikes-looks-to-avoid-mass-layoffs-amid-surging",
        "published": "2026-10-13T05:55:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "Zoho Skips 2026 Salary Hikes As AI Costs Surge; Sridhar Vembu Says Outlook For Software Jobs Is ‘Grim’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/zoho-skips-2026-salary-hikes-as-ai-costs-surge-sridhar-vembu-says",
        "published": "2026-10-13T06:48:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}