As the government now wants technology companies to focus more on products rather than services, the initiatives taken by it to help develop an indigenous web browser has unlocked new opportunities for innovators. Uday Bansal, co-founder of Ping Browser, identified a gap in the market for enterprise-focused browsers, and his team recently secured the first runner-up position in a national challenge to build an indigenous web browser. In a conversation with Ayanti Bera, Bansal shares the challenges of developing the product and the way forward. Excerpts:
What inspired you to start building a browser?
I was working at a SaaS company and realised that many of the tools we were building could be integrated directly into the browser itself. This made us rethink the browser as an operating system rather than just a window to the web. We saw an opportunity to develop a browser specifically designed for enterprises that could improve productivity while ensuring security. However, building a browser is no easy task. When we came across the national hackathon, we saw it as the perfect opportunity to learn, innovate, and bring our vision to life. While we have already launched a commercial version for the domestic market, our long-term goal is to transition Ping into a full-fledged enterprise browser.
Why did you choose to build an enterprise browser?
Many companies have attempted to develop productivity-focused browsers, but getting users to switch has always been a challenge. We wanted to ensure that companies had compelling reasons to adopt our browser. Enterprises handling critical data, such as those in financial services and healthcare, require specialised security and control over how employees interact with the web. By solving this niche problem first, we can gradually expand our reach, learning from user behaviour along the way.
What key features will Ping offer enterprise users?
We are focusing on building robust security features such as data loss prevention (DLP), malware scanning, built-in network security, and a company VPN. Additionally, Ping will have integrated AI-driven productivity tools and widgets, allowing users to access multiple apps seamlessly within the browser. The enterprise browser market is still in its early stages, with few players globally, which gives us a significant opportunity to establish ourselves as pioneers in this space.
What will be Ping’s business model?
Our business model will be subscription-based, allowing companies to acquire and distribute the browser internally within their organisations. This model ensures that businesses can tailor Ping to their specific needs while maintaining security and compliance within their workforce.
What differentiates Ping from other enterprise browsers?
While enterprise versions of Chrome and Microsoft Edge have begun integrating features like DLP, most modern browsers still focus primarily on individual users rather than enterprises. Additionally, many new browsers emphasise productivity, offering features such as tab management to improve workflow. We want to blend both these aspects, while also enhancing productivity for employees. Our goal is to create an enterprise product that benefits both employers and employees, providing a seamless and secure browsing experience.
What is the underlying technology behind Ping?
Ping is built on Chromium, but we have leveraged the open-source Brave browser as our foundation. Brave is known for its strong privacy features, making it an ideal base for our security-focused browser. By building on Brave, we can offer enhanced privacy controls while still benefiting from Chromium’s compatibility with web applications.
What privacy features does Ping offer that traditional browsers don’t?
One of Ping’s standout features is its advanced ad-blocking technology, inherited from Brave. Users will have the ability to customise which websites are allowed to track them or block all trackers entirely. Unlike Chrome, which recently changed its API to restrict ad blockers, Ping will continue to offer full ad-blocking capabilities, even on platforms like YouTube. This ensures a secure and distraction-free browsing experience for enterprise users.