By Avishek Banerjee

Copyright republicworld

New Delhi: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Railways, and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced his move to Zoho, India’s homegrown platform for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. In a recent tweet, the minister urged citizens to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for promoting 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,” the minister stated in its latest tweet. Ashwini Vaishnaw’s endorsement comes at a time when India is actively encouraging self-reliance in technology and digital infrastructure. Notably, Zoho, which offers a comprehensive suite of productivity tools, has emerged as a flagship example of Indian innovation in the software space.By highlighting its utility and security, the minister’s move sends a strong signal to both government offices and the private sector to consider “domestic alternatives” over “foreign platforms”, as per tech industry observersAccording to Vaishnaw, this step also aligns with the broader Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision, which seeks to strengthen India’s economic and technological independence. The adoption of homegrown software by policymakers and industry leaders can help boost local innovation, create employment, and reduce dependency on global tech giants, as per industry observers. Zoho, founded in 1996 in Chennai, has steadily grown into a global software player while retaining its roots in India. Its suite of applications rivals leading international platforms, offering document creation, spreadsheet management, and presentation tools tailored to the needs of businesses, educational institutions, and government departments alike.Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently highlighted the importance of Swadeshi, especially during the festive season. Speaking at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh yesterday while laying the foundation stone and inaugurating various development projects, he urged citizens to prioritise goods and services made in India.Zoho, a multinational technology company, offers a comprehensive suite of cloud-based business software and web-based tools. The platform is designed to cater to businesses of all sizes, ranging from freelancers and startups to large enterprises. Zoho’s expansive array of applications enables companies to streamline their operations, strengthen customer relationships, and automate a myriad of business processes.Further, whether it’s accounting and financial management, secure business emails, boosting productivity with word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation tools, or aiding marketing teams with social media management and crafting marketing strategies, Zoho has it covered.Zoho’s capability lies in providing a singular, integrated platform for managing an extensive gamut of business functions, from sales and marketing to finance and human resources.Zoho’s products, with over 50 applications at its disposal, are categorised into crucial areas including sales and marketing, finance, collaboration and productivity, human resources, and IT and security. It is a centralised platform, which epitomises business management simplification by consolidating various functions into a unified system. Consequently, this reduces the necessity for multiple, disconnected software subscriptions and furnishes a unified view of an entire business or organisation.The growing preference for homegrown digital platforms such as Zoho, Freshworks, Keka, etc, reflects a larger trend in India’s tech ecosystem, where startups and established companies alike are creating competitive alternatives to international software.Beyond productivity tools, Indian firms are innovating in areas such as cloud services, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, offering solutions that meet global standards while remaining deeply attuned to local needs.