The Indian government is committed to supporting the development of world-class technology products within the country, according to IT Secretary S. Krishnan. This commitment comes amidst a growing push for the adoption of indigenous solutions, particularly those offered by companies like Zoho.
Krishnan, a 1989 batch IAS officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre, has been Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) since September 11, 2023. He oversees critical initiatives such as the India Semiconductor Mission, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, the Digital India Act, and the India AI Mission. His focus includes scaling up indigenous electronics production and increasing value addition in electronics manufacturing within India.
Krishnan has emphasized the importance of startups and deep tech in India's economic growth. Speaking at the Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit in Coimbatore, he noted the rapid growth of deep tech startups, with approximately 32,000 such startups currently operating in India and around 2,000 being added annually. He also highlighted that over 120 startup unicorns in India have a collective valuation exceeding $354 billion. MeitY runs several programs to support startups in the tech space, including the Design Link Incentive (DLI) scheme, which is being revamped to cover semiconductor development related startups.
The government's support extends to fostering innovation and strengthening the cybersecurity landscape. MeitY has launched the second edition of the Cyber Security Grand Challenge (CSGC 2.0) to recognize startups offering innovative cybersecurity solutions. The ministry also emphasizes collaboration among government, industry, and academia to accelerate India's tech progress.
A recent surge in government support for Zoho, a Chennai-based software company, exemplifies the "swadeshi" push to promote indigenous products and reduce reliance on foreign software. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw publicly endorsed Zoho and announced his switch to Zoho's platforms for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Other ministers have followed suit, endorsing Zoho's products, including Arattai, its WhatsApp rival.
This endorsement has led to a sharp increase in adoption, inquiries, and registrations for Zoho's enterprise products. Zoho has also been providing email hosting and office productivity suites to the government for several years, winning an open bid in 2023 to handle email services and other digital services.
The government's decision to shift to Zoho reflects a growing commitment to digital sovereignty, data security, and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). By adopting Zoho, government employees gain access to secure alternatives for drafting documents (Zoho Writer), managing data (Zoho Sheet), creating presentations (Zoho Show), and communicating via email (Zoho Mail). Zoho operates its own data centers in India, ensuring that government data stays within national borders.
S. Krishnan has also addressed the electronics manufacturing sector, noting the overwhelming response to the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS). The scheme, which aims to boost domestic manufacturing of critical components, has received investment proposals worth ₹1.18 lakh crore, exceeding the original target. Krishnan confirmed that most companies in India's electronics sector now operate secure and diversified supply chains, thanks to proactive government policies.
India is also willing to share its AI models with the Global South, according to Krishnan. Speaking at FICCI's conference Bhashantara 2025, he emphasized the potential of India's Language Technology ecosystem to lead global AI development. The government's India AI Mission has established AI Kosh, a data repository with over 400 databases, to support the development of multilingual AI solutions.
Through various initiatives and policy support, the Indian government, led by MeitY and figures like S. Krishnan, is actively working to transform India into a leading hub for technology product innovation and a self-reliant digital economy.
