Goodbye Google & Microsoft? 12 Lakh Central Government Employees Shift to India’s Own Zoho Mail

Goodbye Google & Microsoft? 12 Lakh Central Government Employees Shift to India’s Own Zoho Mail

NEW DELHI: Government of India has moved around 12 lakh central government employees from foreign email platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft Outlook to Zoho Mail, an indigenous email platform developed by Chennai-based Zoho Corporation.

This is praised as a good step towards digital sovereignty and self-reliance, aligning closely with the Digital India and Make in India missions. It shows the government’s growing focus on using indigenous technology for official operations and safeguarding sensitive data under Indian jurisdiction.

ALSO READ:- India Post and BSNL Join Hands to Expand Mobile Connectivity in Rural India

According to some official sources, the transition is being carried out to reduce dependency on foreign service providers and to ensure data security.

Storing government communications on servers located outside India has long raised concerns about data privacy and cyber risks. With Zoho’s servers based in India, the data will now remain protected under Indian data laws and security frameworks.

This decision also supports Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which promotes domestic innovation and technology adoption. By selecting an Indian company like Zoho, the government has shown confidence in local software capabilities.

Founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu, Zoho Corporation is a fully Indian-owned Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company with no foreign investors. The platform has already earned high-level trust — even Home Minister Amit Shah recently switched his official email to Zoho Mail.

National Informatics Centre (NIC) is monitoring the migration process, ensuring that all user data — including emails, contacts, and archives — is securely transferred. Enhanced security protocols, including multi-factor authentication and advanced encryption, are also being deployed to protect official correspondence.

While experts have cautioned about the risks of relying entirely on a single vendor, they agree that the shift is a strategic move toward greater control over India’s digital infrastructure. The switch is expected to also reduce IT management costs and simplify system maintenance across ministries.

With this massive migration, India is not just changing its email provider — it’s sending a strong message of digital independence to th world, reinforcing the belief that world-class technology can thrive from within the country’s own borders.