Modi’s cabinet Mobilize for Made-in-India Apps Amid Trade Tensions
Amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States, three members of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet have strongly advocated for the use of domestically developed applications. They called for alternatives to Google Maps, WhatsApp, and Microsoft products, in what is being seen as the government’s strongest endorsement yet of the “Made in India” initiative, Reuters reports.
In August, following Washington’s imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of promoting and using ‘Swadeshi’ (indigenous) products.
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking at a recent press conference, said he had prepared a highway project presentation using software from Zoho, a domestic firm, instead of Microsoft PowerPoint. He further stated that he relied on MapMyIndia maps in place of Google Maps. Smiling, he added: “This map is beautiful, isn’t it? Swadeshi.”
Last week, Vaishnaw released a video demonstrating his use of Zoho software and encouraged wider adoption of Indian technology. His post on the X platform received more than 6.2 million views.
