A discussion on India’s digital dependence gathered momentum after an online exchange between industrialist Harsh Goenka and Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu. The conversation centred on what would happen if the United States suddenly blocked access to platforms such as Google, Instagram, X, Facebook and ChatGPT.
Harsh Goenka asked users to imagine such a scenario, writing, “Frightening, no! Just think about the consequences seriously and what could be Plan B for us.” His post triggered widespread responses, including one from a technology analyst who warned that a sudden cutoff could cause “catastrophic economic fallout.” Citing industry estimates, the analyst said India’s two hundred billion dollar digital economy could be severely hit, more than five hundred million users would face disruption and up to sixty percent of advertising revenue could be lost.
Sridhar Vembu responded by emphasising the need for India to build technological independence. He said the country requires a ten year National Mission on Tech Resilience to reduce vulnerability and strengthen local digital systems. His comments follow the growing adoption of home grown platforms such as Arattai, which Zoho developed as an Indian alternative to global messaging apps.
The analyst suggested that India should accelerate a Plan B built on local solutions. They listed Indian made platforms including Zoho and Nextcloud for cloud services, Arattai for messaging and open source AI models such as Bhashini. They noted that India created UPI in five years and said that achieving digital sovereignty in eighteen months could be possible.
However, experts say that while Indian alternatives exist, adoption remains low. For example MapMyIndia’s Mappls app offers navigation built for Indian roads but many users still prefer foreign mapping apps. Similarly, Arattai continues to expand features but has yet to reach the widespread popularity of its international counterparts.
The debate has highlighted both progress and gaps. India has strong potential to grow local digital ecosystems, but consistent development and user support will be key to reducing dependence on foreign technology.
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