On October 8, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced his transition to Chennai-based Zoho Mail, stepping away from foreign email providers in a strong show of support for India’s indigenous tech ecosystem. He publicly shared his new email address—amitshah.bjp@zohomail.in—signaling a broader government shift toward locally developed digital platforms.
This move follows IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s September declaration to adopt Zoho’s office suite for official documentation, spreadsheets, and presentations, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swadeshi” initiative that champions Made-in-India solutions. The announcement comes amid rising trade tensions between the U.S. and India, with President Donald Trump’s administration imposing tariffs of up to 50% on Indian exports since August.
🏛️ Government-Wide Migration to Indigenous Tools
Shah’s switch is part of a coordinated digital transition across ministries. Earlier in October, the Ministry of Education issued a directive mandating all officials to use Zoho Office Suite—specifically Zoho Writer, Sheet, and Show—for official tasks. The circular emphasized the importance of “strengthening digital sovereignty under the Swadeshi movement” and instructed staff to discontinue use of Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
“We empower India to lead with homegrown innovation, secure our data, and build a self-reliant future by embracing Zoho’s indigenous tools,” the ministry stated.
Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu welcomed the endorsement, dedicating the milestone to the company’s engineers who have “toiled for over 20 years” to build world-class products in India. Founded in 1996, Zoho now employs over 18,000 people globally and serves around 130 million users.
📱 Expanding the Digital Independence Movement
The government’s adoption of Zoho extends beyond email and productivity tools. Zoho’s Arattai messaging app—touted as India’s answer to WhatsApp—has seen explosive growth, reaching 7.5 million downloads by October 3. Daily sign-ups skyrocketed from 3,000 to 350,000 in just three days, fueled by endorsements from ministers and business leaders.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra have publicly embraced Arattai, with Goyal praising it as a “#MadeInIndia messaging platform.” The app currently supports encrypted voice and video calls, with text encryption expected soon.
This digital shift coincides with strained U.S.–India trade relations, prompting calls for strategic caution. Vembu emphasized the importance of building India’s technological resilience, noting, “The next two decades will be crucial for India.”
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