Union Minister of Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw announced his move to Zoho’s software suiteshifting from Microsoft products for creating documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. Calling Zoho a “Swadeshi platform”he urged citizens to adopt Indian-made digital solutions, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent push for buying and supporting indigenous products.
Push for Made-in-India Digital Ecosystem
Vaishnaw’s announcement comes at a time when India and the US are locked in trade negotiations, with Washington imposing 50% tariffs on Indian imports. His switch is seen as a symbolic endorsement of India’s growing digital ecosystem. Zoho, headquartered in Tenkasi, Tamil Naduhas expanded globally, boasting $1 billion in annual revenue and offices worldwide, including in the US.
Government’s Growing Reliance on Zoho
This is not the first time the government has leaned on Zoho. In 2023, the company was awarded contracts to maintain email inboxes for several ministries. Zoho also won an IT Ministry challenge to build a secure web browseraddressing concerns about foreign software’s reluctance to trust Indian security certificates. Though not yet mandated, these steps highlight the government’s interest in nurturing domestic alternatives.
Why It Matters
India’s reliance on foreign firms like Microsoft and Google has posed risks in the past. For instance, Nayara Energya joint Indo-Russian venture, was briefly cut off from its email services when a US provider stopped access citing European sanctions. Such disruptions underline the strategic importance of building self-reliant digital infrastructure through Indian players like Zoho.
Swadeshi Momentum
PM Modi, in his recent televised address, emphasized the need to free India from dependence on foreign goods, urging citizens to choose locally made products across all categories, from simple household items to advanced digital tools. Vaishnaw’s move is being seen as an example for others to follow, signaling that the Swadeshi push is not just symbolic but extends deeply into India’s digital future.
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