Over 16.68 lakh official email accounts belonging to central government employees have been moved to a cloud platform run by Zoho, with total spending on the project touching Rs 180.10 crore so far. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology shared this information with the Lok Sabha. The migration has been carried out by the National Informatics Centre, which brought in Zoho as the Master System Integrator for the project.
Why did the government take this decision?
The migration of email accounts is a part of the government’s broader effort to modernise its digital communication systems while ensuring data sovereignty. According to reports, officials stated that the project aims to create a “robust, sovereign, and secure” email system for official use, with full ownership and control of data remaining with the government.
The initiative also aligns with the government’s “Make in India” push, prioritising domestic technology providers over global alternatives.
How was the platform selected?
Zoho was chosen as the “Master System Integrator” through a competitive bidding process conducted on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). The selection process included a proof-of-concept evaluation involving shortlisted vendors and government users before final approval.
While Zoho provides the cloud-based solution, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) continues to operate and manage the system for official communications.
What was the total cost incurred in this?
According to MeitY, the total expenditure so far stands at approximately Rs 180.10 crore. The pricing under the contract ranges between Rs 170 and Rs 300 per user per month, depending on storage capacity, which varies from 30 GB to 100 GB.
Payments are linked to the number of accounts migrated, meaning costs may increase as more departments transition to the platform.
The shift is aimed at replacing older email infrastructure and improving scalability, collaboration, and cybersecurity. The government has emphasised that official communication must continue through NIC-managed systems, even as the backend infrastructure is upgraded with cloud capabilities.
Conclusion
The large-scale migration highlights India’s growing focus on building indigenous digital infrastructure. By adopting a domestic platform, the government is attempting to reduce reliance on foreign service providers while strengthening control over sensitive data.
As the rollout continues, the project is expected to play a key role in shaping India’s future digital governance ecosystem.