Zoho wins NIC email mandate after audits, boosts Indian products push

Zoho moves in — and the government’s chasing digital self‑reliance

Big change. Over 10 lakh+ central government email accounts — including some tied to the Prime Minister’s Office — were moved from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) system to Zoho’s platform under a seven‑year contract finalised in 2023. The stated aim is clear: push India from being just a user of global tools to becoming a “product nation” and strengthen digital sovereignty. The Education Ministry framed the switch on October 3, 2023 as part of a kind of modern “Swadeshi movement,” favoring home‑grown tech.

Zoho’s co‑founder Sridhar Vembu says the company passed roughly 15–20 audits covering code, data centres and security. The company also reports onboarding over 1 million users, though different figures have been mentioned in public reports — numbers don’t line up neatly, and that’s worth noting. The migration was kicked into higher gear after a Nov 2022 ransomware attack exposed risks with the existing setup.

Personally, I get the appeal. Using Indian products for government work feels right politically and can reduce reliance on foreign vendors. But it’s not a magic bullet. Moving email systems is both technical and political — and messy.

Security & audits

Zoho’s promises of end‑to‑end encryption and multiple audits are reassuring on paper. Still, sceptics point to recent cyberattacks (like the AIIMS incident) and demand independent, public audits of data centres and processes. Some ministers’ personal email moves to Zoho were publicised, but official correspondence often remains on NIC domains — a quiet reminder that the transition is not total and trust takes time.

The bottom line: India seems committed to building its own stack and reshaping how talent crosses borders — and that choice will reshape careers, security expectations, and the country’s tech posture for years to come.