Ditch Microsoft 365 & Google Workplace? IT Minister Urges Indians To Switch To Zoho In Swadeshi Push

Union Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that he has shifted to Zoho's productivity suite for his official work, encouraging Indians to follow suit in support of the government's Swadeshi initiative. In a post on X, Vaishnaw stated, "I am moving to Zoho — our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets & presentations. I urge all to join PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products & services." The announcement highlights Zoho as an Indian-developed alternative to foreign software, aligning with efforts to foster self-reliance in technology.

Zoho founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu responded on X, expressing thanks and noting, "Thank you Sir, this is a huge morale boost for our engineers who have worked hard for over two decades to build our product suite. We will make you proud and make our nation proud. Jai Hind." Vembu also referenced Zoho's AI-powered features, such as the Zia assistant in Zoho Sheet for data analysis and visualisation across nearly 40 chart types.

Thank you Sir, this is a huge morale boost for our engineers who have worked hard for over two decades to build our product suite.

We will make you proud and make our nation proud. Jai Hind 🙏 https://t.co/QyeqBWworu

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) September 22, 2025

Adopt Zoho, Ditch Google Workplace and Microsoft 365

Vaishnaw's call involves replacing tools from Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 with Zoho's equivalents. This includes switching from Google Docs to Zoho Writer for word processing and collaborative document editing, from Google Sheets to Zoho Sheet for spreadsheets, and from Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint to Zoho Show for presentations. The broader shift targets the entire Microsoft Office suite, promoting the full Zoho Workplace or Zoho One ecosystem, which integrates email, storage, and collaboration features as a unified Indian-made replacement.

How Different is Zoho?

Zoho Workplace differs from Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 in pricing, with plans starting as low as Rs. 59 per user per month, compared to Rs. 160 for Google Workspace Business Starter and Rs. 145 for Microsoft 365 Business Basic. It emphasises privacy through data centers in India and Europe, offering stronger controls for compliance-focused users, while Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 rely on US-based infrastructure. Zoho provides seamless integration across its 50+ apps for small to medium businesses, with user-friendly interfaces and AI tools like Zia, but offers fewer offline capabilities than Microsoft 365's desktop applications and a less expansive third-party ecosystem than Google Workspace. Security features include enterprise-grade encryption in all three, though Zoho highlights customisation for cost-conscious teams.

What is Zoho?

Zoho was founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas in a small apartment in Chennai's suburbs, initially focusing on network management software. The company remained bootstrapped without external funding, acquiring the Zoho.com domain in 2002, and expanded into cloud-based SaaS products, including the Zoho Office Suite. By 2025, Zoho employs over 12,000 people globally and reports annual revenues exceeding $1 billion, operating as one of the world's largest SaaS providers with divisions like ManageEngine for IT management.

Zoho offers over 50 integrated applications through Zoho One and Workplace suites, covering productivity, sales, marketing, support, HR, finance, and more. Key tools include Zoho Mail for email, Zoho Writer for word processing, Zoho Sheet for spreadsheets, Zoho Show for presentations, Zoho CRM for customer management, Zoho Projects for task tracking, Zoho Desk for support ticketing, Zoho Analytics for business intelligence, Zoho Books for accounting, Zoho Cliq for team chat, Zoho WorkDrive for file storage, Zoho Forms for surveys, Zoho Campaigns for email marketing, Zoho Social for social media, Zoho Sign for e-signatures, Zoho Meeting for video conferencing, and Zoho Inventory for stock management.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to go 'Swadeshi'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified the Swadeshi push in an address, stating, "India's biggest enemy is dependence on other nations," and urging citizens to adopt made-in-India products to counter US trade measures. The remarks followed a US executive order imposing a $100,000 one-time fee on new H-1B visa applications affecting over 70 percent of holders who are Indian, alongside a 50 percent tariff on Indian imports. Modi framed these as a "medicine" for self-reliance, calling for a "Bachat Utsav" to boost local industries and announcing NextGen GST reforms to support domestic tech and manufacturing. The White House clarified the H-1B fee applies only to new applicants, not renewals or current holders.