In a drive towards technological self-sufficiency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to embrace domestic digital platforms as substitutes for international tech behemoths. Emphasizing the significance of ‘Swadeshi Tech,’ he highlighted the necessity of bolstering Indian innovation to fortify the nation’s digital framework. This call to action coincides with the imposition of substantial tariffs on India by U.S. President Donald Trump and an increase in the H1-B visa fee to $100,000.
India offers several homegrown alternatives to popular global tech platforms:
1. Arattai, developed by Zoho Corporation, is a secure messaging app intended to compete with WhatsApp, featuring end-to-end encryption and multimedia sharing.
2. Mappls by MapmyIndia serves as an alternative to Google Maps, providing detailed maps and real-time traffic updates tailored for India’s diverse landscape.
3. Zoho Writer, a cloud-based word processor from Zoho Corporation, rivals Microsoft Word with collaborative editing and advanced formatting features.
4. Zoho Sheet offers a local substitute for Microsoft Excel, providing intuitive data analysis and real-time collaboration.
5. Zoho Show competes with Microsoft PowerPoint, allowing users to create professional presentations with collaborative tools.
6. Zoho Mail, with its clean interface and email management tools, stands as an alternative to Gmail, focusing on data privacy on Indian servers.
7. Zoho Sign offers a secure platform for digital signatures, presenting a Swadeshi option to Adobe Sign with compliance to Indian regulations.
8. Flipkart emerges as a major competitor to Amazon, supporting local sellers and offering a wide range of products for Indian consumers.
