"I'm moving to Zoho": Vaishnaw joins PM's 'Swadeshi' call; "Thank you Sir…huge morale boost,” Founder Vembu reacts

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday announced that he is moving to Zoho, a homegrown platform for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

Ashwini Vaishnaw urges citizens to join PM Modi's swadeshi call

The Minister wrote on the social media platform X, urging people to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products and services.

“I am moving to Zoho -- our own Swadeshi platform for documents, spreadsheets & presentations,” he wrote on X.

The appeal comes just after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a letter to the people of India, appealed to all citizens to support Made-in-India products during the festive season.

“I urge all to join PM Narendra Modi's call for Swadeshi by adopting indigenous products & services,” Vaishnaw added.

Zoho's Sridhar Vembu reacts

The decision drew immediate appreciation from Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu, who expressed gratitude for Mr Vaishnaw's support.

"Thank you Sir, this is a huge morale boost for our engineers who have worked hard for over two decades to build our product suite," Vembu responded. "We will make you proud and make our nation proud. Jai Hind."

Thank you Sir, this is a huge morale boost for our engineers who have worked hard for over two decades to build our product suite.

We will make you proud and make our nation proud. Jai Hind 🙏 https://t.co/QyeqBWworu

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) September 22, 2025

Narendra Modi's swadeshi push

PM Modi linked the move to the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047' and said buying swadeshi goods not only boosts the economy but also helps local artisans, workers and industries.

“Every time you buy a product made by our artisans, workers, and industries, you are helping families earn their living and creating job opportunities for our youth,” the Prime Minister had said, while also encouraging traders to promote local goods.

PM Modi highlighted that this year's festive season has an added reason to celebrate with the launch of “GST Bachat Utsav”, made possible by the Next Generation GST reforms.

He said it would reduce household expenses, ease business operations, and accelerate growth across all sections of society, including farmers, women, youth, traders, and MSMEs.

The Prime Minister also recalled the rollout of GST in 2017 as a “turning point” that freed citizens and businesses from the complexities of multiple taxes, bringing relief under the idea of “One Nation, One Tax”.

Vaishnaw's announcement to shift to Zoho indicates the government's broader push to adopt indigenous platforms and promote self-reliance.

Also read: ‘We have been in India for 30 years, very much swadeshi,’ says Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer (startuppedia.in)