Zoho Corporation founder Sridhar Vembu has raised serious concerns about India’s growing dependence on foreign technology, urging the government to adopt a long-term roadmap for “tech resilience.” His remarks come as conversations around India’s digital sovereignty intensify, especially amid geopolitical uncertainties involving the US and other global powers.
Vembu’s statement was prompted by industrialist Harsh Goenka’s post on X (formerly Twitter), where Goenka warned about the potential impact of a hypothetical scenario — if US President Donald Trump were to restrict American apps like Google, Instagram, Facebook, or ChatGPT in India. Goenka’s message highlighted the urgent need for a “Plan B” to safeguard India’s digital ecosystem in the event of such restrictions.
Responding to this, Vembu emphasized that India’s overreliance goes far beyond apps. “Our dependency extends across operating systems, semiconductor chips, and fabrication units,” he said. To tackle this issue, he proposed a decade-long “National Mission for Tech Resilience” focused on building indigenous alternatives in software, hardware, and digital infrastructure.
The Zoho founder acknowledged that such an endeavor would be complex and time-consuming but stressed that it was achievable with strategic commitment and sustained effort. “It can be done,” Vembu affirmed, calling for a unified national push involving both public and private sectors.
Zoho has been at the forefront of promoting homegrown technology, offering Indian-made alternatives to global software platforms. The company’s messaging app, Arattai, has gained attention as a domestic competitor to WhatsApp, while products like Zoho Mail and Zoho Sheet provide productivity tools that rival Western software.
Despite these advances, India still lacks control over core technologies. Currently, global smartphones primarily run on two operating systems — Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS — both managed by US companies. While China’s Huawei has developed HarmonyOS, its reach remains limited. India, on the other hand, has no indigenous OS for mobile or PC use.
The situation is similar in semiconductor manufacturing, where giants like Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung dominate. Although India launched its own Vikram 32-bit processor earlier this year, experts believe the country still has a long way to go before achieving full-scale chip independence.
Vembu’s appeal underscores a growing national sentiment — the need for India to evolve from a technology consumer to a technology creator. His proposed mission aims to ensure that India’s digital future remains secure, self-reliant, and globally competitive.
