Zoho launches Catalyst 3.0 for AI-assisted application development
Zoho has announced the launch of Catalyst 3.0, an AI agent-ready cloud development platform that integrates AI coding assistant capabilities, Agent Skills, Model Context Protocol (MCP) support and AI-assisted development workflows.
The latest version is aimed at enabling developers to move applications from coding to deployment within a single cloud environment. Catalyst 3.0 includes integrations with AI-enabled integrated development environments, a non-interactive command-line interface and MCP support, allowing development tasks to be executed through AI coding assistants.
Zoho has also introduced Agentic AI skills that allow AI coding assistants to interact with the Catalyst platform. The skills are available through the Claude Code and Codex marketplaces, while the company has open-sourced the skills repository, Catalyst SDK, CLI and its Slyte JavaScript framework.
The platform provides services including frontend hosting, serverless functions, compute and data management. Zoho said applications built on Catalyst can be hosted in its India data centres, with additional availability across regions including the US and EU.
“Agentic AI coding assistants have transformed how quickly applications are being created, but getting that code deployed and operating in production remains a major hurdle,” said Anand Nergunam, Global Vice President, Revenue Growth at Zoho. “For every app being built, developers spend a lot of time stitching together separate cloud services and managing infrastructure. We built Catalyst 3.0 to eliminate that friction. By delivering an agent-ready, serverless full-stack platform, we are providing developers and AI agents complete freedom from managing cloud infrastructure. They can build, deploy, and scale applications faster safely, with far less operational overhead.”
Zoho has also announced a free student programme for Catalyst 3.0. “Additionally, to democratise access we are launching a free student tier. By putting Catalyst 3.0 in the hands of student developers, we are freeing them from the burden of traditional development cycles, so they can thrive in a rapidly shifting landscape. Ultimately, our aim is to remove technical friction so they can instantly convert their ideas into tangible outcomes,” Nergunam added.