The Ministry of Education has officially instructed all its officials to use the Zoho Office Suite for all document-related tasks. This move aims to promote digital sovereignty and homegrown technology, in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and the Swadeshi movement.
“By embracing Zoho’s indigenous office productivity tools, we take a bold step in the Swadeshi movement. empowering India to lead with homegrown innovation. strengthen digital sovereignty, and secure our data for a self-reliant future,” the circular reads.
According to the Department of Higher Education’s official memorandum, adopting Zoho is a strategic move to reduce reliance on foreign software while encouraging the use and growth of Indian digital products. The circular also noted that this change could strengthen India’s position in the global digital economy, helping the country move “from a service economy to a product nation.”
All officers and staff under the Ministry have been directed to create, edit and share all official documents, spreadsheets and presentations using Zoho, which is now integrated with NIC mail.
What is Zoho Office Suite?
Zoho Office Suite is an online office platform developed by Zoho Corporation. The platform helps to create, edit and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more, all in one secure place.
Some of its main tools include Zoho Writer for documents, Zoho Sheet for spreadsheets and Zoho Show for presentations. Everything is stored in the cloud via Zoho WorkDrive, so users can access their work anytime.
What does the official circular say?
It was instructed to officials to familiarise themselves with Zoho’s collaborative tools to ensure smooth adoption and contact the CMIS/NIC division for technical support and onboarding assistance.
The circular further mentioned that the Zoho Office Suite has already been embedded within the NIC mail ecosystem, allowing seamless access without separate logins or installations. This integration is designed to make the platform easy to use, secure and collaborative across government departments.
By formally adopting Zoho, the Ministry noted its commitment to data security, domestic innovation and strategic autonomy in the digital space. Officials have called the move a “bold step” toward reducing software import dependence and creating a secure, scalable, and sovereign IT ecosystem.
The order was digitally signed by Nishant Upadhyaya, Under Secretary to the Government of India and circulated to the Personal Secretaries of the Education Minister, Minister of State (SM) and Minister of State (JC), along with other senior officials.