Centre Migrates 12 Lakh Government Employee Emails to Zoho Platform: Report

October 14, 2025 Rohan 130 Views 2 min read

In a significant move toward digital self-reliance, the central government has reportedly shifted the email accounts of nearly 12 lakh employees, including those from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) system to Zoho Corporation’s email platform.

According to a report by The Hindu, this migration marks a partial adoption of Zoho’s email services for central government employees. The transition has taken place gradually over the past year as part of the government’s efforts to enhance data security and reduce reliance on foreign technology providers.

The development traces back to February 21, 2023, when Digital India Corporation (DIC) — a non-profit entity under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) — invited bids from private firms to manage and migrate government email systems. While the government did not publicly announce the winning bidder, Zoho emerged as the selected company to handle the migration and operations.

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Strengthening Data Sovereignty

The tender followed a ransomware attack on AIIMS, New Delhi, in November 2022, which exposed vulnerabilities in critical data systems and disrupted operations for days. The incident underscored the urgency of securing government data within India’s jurisdiction.

Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu, in an interview with The Economic Times, emphasized the importance of technological self-reliance and data sovereignty. “Technology can be weaponised against a country like India. Therefore, it’s vital that our digital infrastructure remains under Indian law and control,” he said.

To further ensure data security, the government has enabled a Zoho suite of productivity apps—including tools for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations—for official use, discouraging employees from relying on open-source or third-party platforms.

Growing Government Backing

Zoho’s growing integration with government functions signals increasing trust in indigenous technology solutions. The company’s products have been gaining traction across ministries—many officials have already switched to Zoho Mail, and even IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw used Zoho Show for a recent media presentation.

This follows a surge of interest in Arattai, Zoho’s homegrown messaging app and alternative to WhatsApp, after several ministers began using it. The app’s traffic reportedly skyrocketed 100-fold within just three days.

With the government’s endorsement, Zoho appears to be cementing its role as a key player in India’s digital ecosystem—aligning with the nation’s broader push for “Digital India” and technological sovereignty.