By News Karnataka Editorial Team
Copyright newskarnataka
New Delhi, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday announced that he is switching to Zoho, a homegrown digital platform for documents, spreadsheets and presentations. The move, which comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s renewed call for self-reliance, is being positioned as an endorsement of indigenous technology and services.
Call for swadeshi adoption
In a post on social media platform X, Vaishnaw wrote, “I am moving to Zoho — our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets & presentations. I urge all to join PM Narendra Modi’s call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products & 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
The minister’s appeal closely followed the Prime Minister’s open letter to the people of India, urging citizens to support Made-in-India products during the festive season. Modi stressed that such choices not only strengthen the economy but also empower local artisans, workers and industries.
Zoho founder’s response
Vaishnaw’s decision drew immediate appreciation from Zoho’s co-founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu, who expressed gratitude on X. “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,” Vembu said.
Zoho, founded in 1996, has steadily grown into one of India’s most successful software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, offering a suite of productivity and enterprise tools to global clients.
Modi links to Viksit Bharat 2047 vision
Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly connected the idea of buying swadeshi goods to the broader vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’. According to him, every purchase of local products directly contributes to creating jobs, sustaining families and boosting the domestic economy.
“Every time you buy a product made by our artisans, workers, and industries, you are helping families earn their living and creating job opportunities for our youth,” Modi said recently, urging traders to also promote locally made goods.
GST Bachat Utsav
The Prime Minister also linked the call for swadeshi to the launch of the “GST Bachat Utsav”, enabled by the new generation of GST reforms. He said these reforms would help reduce household expenses, simplify business operations and accelerate inclusive growth across all sections of society, including farmers, women, youth, traders and MSMEs.
Modi recalled that the introduction of GST in 2017 had been a “turning point” for the Indian economy, easing the tax burden on businesses and citizens by implementing the principle of “One Nation, One Tax”.
Push for indigenous platforms
Vaishnaw’s announcement to shift to Zoho is seen as an extension of the government’s larger push to encourage swadeshi digital adoption and promote self-reliance. Analysts note that the minister’s personal move carries symbolic weight and is likely intended to inspire citizens to embrace Indian platforms in their professional and personal lives.
As reported by NDTV, the development reflects both a strategic endorsement of indigenous capabilities and a message to the wider public to prefer homegrown services in line with the government’s self-reliance agenda.
