Ashwini Vaishnaw moves to Zoho in push for India’s Swadeshi tech adoption

The move is seen as a powerful step toward digital self-reliance. “I am moving to Zoho—our own Swadeshi platform,” reads a post by Vaishnaw advocating for the adoption of Indian-made products and services. The move reflects a broader sentiment gaining traction across sectors: the desire to reduce dependence on foreign tech ecosystems and invest in India’s innovation capacity. 

Zoho, headquartered in Tamil Nadu, has emerged as a symbol of India’s potential to build world-class software solutions. With its end-to-end suite of productivity tools, the platform offers a credible alternative to global giants, while aligning with the ethos of Atmanirbhar Bharat. “Thank you for moving to Zoho! We’ll keep striving to build software that makes India proud,” said Zohon on a X post. 

Vaishnaw’s announcement came soon after PM Modi emphasised that India needs to collectively defeat it dependence on other nations. 

PM Modi reiterated that greater foreign dependence leads to greater national failure. "For global peace, stability, and prosperity, the world's most populous country must become self-reliant." He cautioned that reliance on others compromises national self-respect. 

The remarks came amid heightened tensions with the United States, particularly over ongoing trade hurdles, tariff disputes, and the recent presidential proclamation signed by US President Donald Trump, which increased the H-1B visa application fee to USD 100,000. 

India is the beneficiary of almost 75 per cent of those permits issued annually by the US government. 

PM Modi asserted that the future of 140 crore Indians cannot be left to external forces, nor can the resolve for national development be based on foreign dependency. He stressed that the future of the coming generations must not be put at risk. 

He declared that the solution to a hundred problems is one—building an Atmanirbhar Bharat. To achieve this, India must confront challenges, reduce external dependence, and demonstrate true self-reliance. 

"If India is to become a developed nation by 2047, it must become self-reliant, there is no alternative to self-reliance, and all 140 crore citizens must commit to the same resolve—whether it is chips (semiconductor) or ships, they must be made in India", emphasised the PM, during his speech in Gujarat.