Amit Shah goes Zoho: Home Minister bolsters India’s push for indigenous digital platforms

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that he has switched his official email to Zoho Mail, marking a significant step in the government’s shift toward using indigenous digital platforms. Shah made the announcement on X, sharing his new email address and requesting that all future correspondence be directed there. Following Union IT and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Shah is the most senior government functionary so far to adopt Zoho’s services for official communication.

The move follows an earlier directive from the Ministry of Education, issued on October 3, requiring officials to stop using US-based platforms such as Microsoft Office and Google Workspace and instead use Zoho’s suite of tools, including Zoho Writer, Sheet, and Show. The directive also recommends integration with NIC email systems and storage on government data centres. Officials have been instructed to avoid storing files on non-government servers.

“By embracing Zoho’s indigenous office productivity tools, we take a bold step in the Swadeshi movement — empowering India to lead with home-grown innovation, strengthen digital sovereignty, and secure our data for a self-reliant future,” the circular stated. Ashwini Vaishnaw has already been using Zoho services; he reportedly used Zoho Show instead of Microsoft PowerPoint for a recent Cabinet presentation. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also switched to Zoho.

While the Prime Minister’s Office has not made any announcement, a wider transition to Zoho among top ministries is under consideration. The government’s move is in line with broader efforts to reduce reliance on foreign technology platforms and promote local alternatives under the Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. The adoption of Zoho, a Chennai-based software company, is seen as part of this strategy.

Founded by Sridhar Vembu and developed by Chennai-based Zoho Corporation, the Office Suite serves more than 130 million users globally.