Cabinet officials push “Made in India” software amid trade tensions with the United States
Three Indian ministers, including Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, are actively promoting domestic alternatives to global tech giants such as Google, WhatsApp, and Microsoft. The push comes in the backdrop of strained US-India trade relations, following the US imposing a 50% tariff on certain Indian imports in August, reported dubaieye1038.com
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Vaishnaw recently showcased highway project presentations using Zoho, an Indian rival to Microsoft PowerPoint, with maps provided by MapmyIndia instead of Google Maps
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Goyal and Pradhan endorsed Arattai, a new Indian messaging app, resulting in over 400,000 downloads in September—up from fewer than 10,000 in August
While global tech brands like Microsoft, Google, and WhatsApp remain widely used in India, ministers are encouraging citizens and offices to adopt homegrown alternatives. Zoho, led by billionaire co-founder Sridhar Vembu, has gained popularity with its suite of cloud-based tools and messaging platform. Arattai, meaning “chat” in Tamil, has seen a rapid surge in daily active users, crossing 100,000 on September 26, doubling in just one day.
However, replacing entrenched global platforms remains a challenge. Experts note that while government backing helps, Indian firms need unique differentiation, significant funding, and safeguards against surveillance to compete effectively. Previous attempts, such as the X-like platform Koo, ultimately failed due to insufficient financial support despite ministerial promotion.
