In a move that underscores India’s push toward digital self-reliance, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has officially adopted Zoho Mail for his professional correspondence. The transition, announced on October 8, 2025, was not merely an administrative update—it has become a defining moment for India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in technology.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Shah wrote, “Hello everyone, I have switched to Zoho Mail. Kindly note the change in my email address. My new email address is [email protected]. For future correspondence via mail, kindly use this address. Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.”

The announcement drew an emotional and patriotic response from Sridhar Vembu, co-founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, who has long championed the cause of building world-class software from Indian soil. Vembu replied, “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 symbolic exchange between one of India’s top political leaders and one of its most respected entrepreneurs resonated across the tech community. For many, Shah’s switch represents more than just a change of email provider—it’s a strong statement supporting India’s digital sovereignty and its growing capability to create globally competitive, secure digital infrastructure.

Adding further momentum to this movement, the Ministry of Education (MoE) recently urged its officials to adopt Zoho’s suite of productivity tools—collectively known as the Zoho Office Suite—for official purposes. A circular titled “Strengthening Digital Sovereignty under Swadeshi Movement” emphasized the importance of using 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 further linked the decision to the government’s larger mission of transforming India “from a service economy into a product nation,” reinforcing the emphasis on self-reliance in both hardware and software ecosystems.

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Chennai, Zoho Corporation has steadily grown into a global enterprise while remaining firmly rooted in its Indian identity. The company is known for its unique philosophy—eschewing external venture capital and focusing instead on long-term, sustainable growth and nurturing local talent, particularly from rural India.

Zoho Mail, launched in 2008, is part of the broader Zoho Workplace suite—a privacy-first, ad-free alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. The platform offers encrypted communication, two-factor authentication, and adherence to stringent privacy norms, with servers located primarily in India and the United States for enhanced data security.

For Zoho and its founder, Amit Shah’s endorsement stands as a proud validation of decades of perseverance and belief in India’s ability to innovate. As one industry observer aptly remarked on social media, “The Home Minister’s email just went Atmanirbhar.”