Using Zoho Office Suite now must for Education Ministry officials
What's the story
In a major push toward digital self-reliance, the Ministry of Education has directed all its officials to use the Zoho Office Suite for all official documents. The move aligns with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's endorsement of Zoho's messaging app, Arattai, and supports the broader strategy of digital self-reliance. The decision is in line with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and aims to reduce dependence on foreign software while promoting Indian digital products.
Digital transition
'Bold step in the Swadeshi movement'
The Department of Higher Education's official memorandum describes the adoption of Zoho as a strategic move to promote digital sovereignty and homegrown technology. "By embracing Zoho's indigenous office productivity tools, we take a bold step in the Swadeshi movement," reads the circular. It further states that this change could bolster India's position in the global digital economy, helping it transition from a service economy to a product nation.
Platform
What is Zoho Office Suite?
Zoho Office Suite is an online office platform by Zoho Corporation, offering tools like Zoho Writer for documents, Zoho Sheet for spreadsheets, and Zoho Show for presentations. The suite's main feature is its cloud storage via Zoho WorkDrive, which provides anytime access to users' work. The Ministry has asked all officers and staff to create, edit, and share official documents using this integrated platform with NIC mail.
User guidance
Officials instructed to familiarize themselves with Zoho's tools
The circular also instructed officials to familiarize themselves with Zoho's collaborative tools for smooth adoption. They were told to contact the CMIS/NIC division for technical support and onboarding assistance. The seamless integration of Zoho Office Suite within the NIC mail ecosystem is aimed at making it easy to use, secure, and collaborative across government departments.