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Govt Spends Rs 180 Crore to Migrate 16.7 Lakh Email Accounts to Zoho

The Union government has completed the migration of approximately 16.68 lakh official email accounts to a cloud-based platform managed by Zoho Corporation at a cost of Rs 180.10 crore. Minister Jitin Prasada stated the move aims to provide a robust, sovereign, and secure email system for ministries and departments. The selection of Zoho followed a transparent bidding process on the Government e-Marketplace, with data ownership firmly retained by the Government of India. The initiative modernizes legacy infrastructure while adhering to "Make in India" principles for secure official communication.

Key Points: Rs 180 Crore Spent on Govt Email Migration to Zoho: MoS

  • Rs 180.10 crore total expenditure
  • 16.68 lakh email accounts migrated
  • Pricing Rs 170-300 per account/month
  • Selection via GeM bidding process
  • Data ownership remains with Govt of India
2 min read

Rs 180.10 crore spent on migrating 16.68 lakh govt email accounts to Zoho platform: MoS Jitin Prasada

Central govt spent Rs 180.10 crore migrating 16.68 lakh official email accounts to Zoho's cloud platform for enhanced security and scalability.

"The government recognises the critical importance of having a robust, sovereign and secure official email system - Jitin Prasada"

New Delhi, April 1

Union MoS Jitin Prasada on Wednesday informed the parliament that the Central government has migrated around 16.68 lakh official email accounts of Ministries and Departments to a cloud-based platform managed by Zoho Corporation, with total expenditure reaching Rs 180.10 crore.

Responding to queries raised by TMC MPs Rachna Banerjee, Deepak Dev Adhikari and Mala Roy, Prasada said in a written reply, "The payments are linked to the actual number of email accounts migrated. The pricing ranges between Rs 170 and Rs 300 per account per month, depending on mailbox size between 30 GB and 100 GB."

Prasada further explained the rationale behind the move, stating, "The government recognises the critical importance of having a robust, sovereign and secure official email system for Ministries and Departments."

The minister clarified that the selection of Zoho as a Master System Integrator (MSI) was conducted through a transparent and competitive bidding process on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM-CPPP). The process included a Proof of Concept (PoC) evaluation with shortlisted bidders and designated government users.

He emphasised that the government continues to mandate the use of email services provided by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for official communication, while the upgraded cloud-based solution is being implemented to modernise legacy infrastructure and enhance scalability, collaboration, and security.

Addressing concerns over data control, Prasada stated, "Ownership and control of all government data remain with the Government of India. The project also adheres to "Make in India" principles, ensuring sovereign and secure communication systems for official use."

The Government said that it recognises electronic mail as an important mode of official communication for governance, inter-ministerial coordination and citizen-centric service delivery.

Earlier in February, Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu had highlighted India's focus on cost-effective and resource-efficient digital innovations, including smaller AI models tailored to domestic needs.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Finally moving to the cloud! The old NIC email system was so slow and clunky. This should improve coordination between departments massively. Hope the training for government staff is also included in this cost.
R
Rohit P
With so many data breaches happening globally, security is paramount. Good to hear ownership and control remains with GoI. Zoho is a trusted Indian product. This is a step in the right direction for digital governance.
S
Sarah B
While the intent is good, the transparency of the bidding process is crucial. Was there a proper audit of the GeM-CPPP process? The cost, while justifiable, is still taxpayer money. We need regular performance reviews to ensure we're getting value.
V
Vikram M
Good move! Supporting an Indian SaaS giant like Zoho creates a strong ecosystem. Sridhar Vembu's focus on cost-effective innovation is perfect for our needs. This is how "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" should work in tech.
K
Karthik V
The legacy infrastructure upgrade was long overdue. But I hope this doesn't lead to a situation where basic NIC email is neglected for the fancy paid version. Both systems need to be maintained well for different levels of use.

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