In a major step towards data sovereignty and cybersecurity, the Indian government has migrated approximately 1.2 million email accounts of central government employees, including the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to Zoho Corporation’s platform.
The initiative, launched in 2023, was accelerated after a ransomware attack at AIIMS in late 2022, which exposed vulnerabilities in government digital infrastructure. The incident highlighted the need for greater control over critical data and communication systems, prompting the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through the Digital India Corporation (DIC), to invite bids for migration to a private, secure email provider.
Zoho, an India-based software company, was selected to handle the migration. In addition to email services, the government has adopted Zoho’s suite of productivity tools, including Zoho Writer, Sheet, and Show, for secure document creation and collaboration. The move ensures sensitive government communications remain under Indian jurisdiction, reducing reliance on foreign technology platforms.
Sridhar Vembu, co-founder of Zoho, emphasized the significance of indigenous technology in national security, stating, “Technology today can be weaponized against a country like India… the technology has to be subject to Indian law so that within India, Indian laws can apply.”
This migration aligns with India’s broader strategy to promote domestic technology solutions, enhance cybersecurity, and strengthen the government’s digital infrastructure. Officials believe that by moving critical operations to a homegrown platform, the government can better safeguard sensitive information while fostering the growth of Indian tech enterprises.
The successful rollout of Zoho across 12 lakh accounts is expected to set a benchmark for future government IT projects, showcasing the potential of local technology providers in large-scale, secure deployments.
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