In a significant step towards India’s digital self-sufficiency, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has officially transitioned to using Zoho Mail for his professional communications. This change, which was disclosed on October 8, 2025, represents a pivotal moment for the country’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the tech arena. Shah announced on X (formerly Twitter), “Hello everyone, I have switched to Zoho Mail. Kindly note the change in my email address. My new email address is amitshah.bjp@zohomail.in. For future correspondence via mail, kindly use this address.
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.” The announcement elicited an emotional and patriotic response from Sridhar Vembu, co-founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, who has been a long-time advocate for developing world-class software in India. Vembu expressed his gratitude, stating, “Thank you Sir, for your faith in us. I dedicate this moment to our hard working engineers who have toiled hard in Zoho for over 20 years. They all stayed in India and worked all these years because they believed. Their faith is vindicated. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.” This exchange between one of India’s leading political figures and a respected entrepreneur resonated within the tech community.
For many, Shah’s switch signifies more than just changing email providers; it is a robust affirmation of India’s digital sovereignty and its increasing capacity to establish secure, globally competitive digital infrastructure. Further bolstering this movement, the Ministry of Education recently encouraged its officials to utilize Zoho’s productivity tools, known collectively as the Zoho Office Suite, for official purposes.
A circular titled “Strengthening Digital Sovereignty under Swadeshi Movement” highlighted the necessity of adopting indigenous technologies, stating: “By embracing Zoho’s indigenous office tools, we empower India to lead with homegrown innovation, strengthen digital sovereignty, and secure our data for a self-reliant future.” The circular also linked this decision to the government’s broader mission of evolving India “from a service economy into a product nation,” reinforcing the focus on self-reliance in both hardware and software domains. Established in 1996 and based in Chennai, Zoho Corporation has matured into a global enterprise while retaining its Indian roots. The company is recognized for its distinctive approach—avoiding external venture capital and concentrating on sustainable growth and fostering local talent, especially from rural areas.
Launched in 2008, Zoho Mail is part of the extensive Zoho Workplace suite, providing a privacy-focused, ad-free alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. The platform features encrypted communications, two-factor authentication, and compliance with strict privacy standards, with servers located mainly in India and the United States to enhance data security. For both Zoho and its founder, Amit Shah’s endorsement serves as a proud affirmation of decades of hard work and belief in India’s innovative potential. As one industry observer aptly noted, “The Home Minister’s email just went Atmanirbhar.”