Ashwini Vaishnaw backs Zoho, calls for wider use of swadeshi tech

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced he is switching to Zoho’s office suite, urging wider adoption of “Swadeshi” tech. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu hailed the move as a morale boost, underscoring India’s push for digital self-reliance and indigenous innovation.

By Storyboard18| Sep 23, 2025 9:44 AM

Ashwini Vaishnaw backs Zoho, calls for wider use of swadeshi tech

In a post on X, the minister, who also handles the Railways and Information & Broadcasting portfolios, wrote: “I am moving to Zoho – our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.”

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said he is shifting to Zoho’s suite of office tools, giving a high-profile endorsement to one of India’s leading homegrown software companies and urging others to embrace indigenous products and services.

I am moving to Zoho — our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets & presentations. ????????

I urge all to join PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products & services. pic.twitter.com/k3nu7bkB1S
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) September 22, 2025

In a post on X, the minister, who also handles the Railways and Information & Broadcasting portfolios, wrote, “I am moving to Zoho – our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.” He linked his move to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wider call for “Swadeshi,” encouraging citizens and institutions to prefer Indian-built technologies.

The public switch comes at a time when the government is pushing for greater digital self-reliance, from electronics manufacturing to enterprise software. It is believed that such endorsements could nudge businesses, startups and even government departments toward adopting local alternatives to global tech giants like Microsoft and Google.

Zoho’s founder and CEO, Sridhar Vembu, responded swiftly, calling the move a morale boost for the company’s engineers. “We will make you proud and make our nation proud,” Vembu posted on X, highlighting the company’s two-decade effort to build a full-fledged enterprise suite from India.

Thank you Sir, this is a huge morale boost for our engineers who have worked hard for over two decades to build our product suite.

We will make you proud and make our nation proud. Jai Hind ???? https://t.co/QyeqBWworu
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) September 22, 2025

Zoho, headquartered in Chennai with a global presence, has long pitched itself as a privacy-focused, affordable alternative to multinational rivals. While it already enjoys significant traction among small and medium businesses worldwide, a nod from a senior cabinet minister could strengthen its positioning as the go-to “Made in India” software brand.

The minister’s endorsement also aligns with the government’s ongoing push to develop domestic champions in strategic sectors, particularly as India sharpens its pitch for technology sovereignty.