**Executive Summary**
The document is an answer provided by the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha regarding the cost and oversight of Zoho-based email migration. The government emphasizes the importance of a secure email system, mandating the use of NIC-provided services, with Zoho selected as the Master System Integrator (MSI). As of September 30, 2025, 12.68 Lakhs accounts have been migrated to Zoho, which includes 7.45 Lakhs Central Government Employees.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Email System Mandate:**
* The Government mandates the use of National Informatics Centre (NIC) email services for official communication.
* Zoho is selected by NIC as the Master System Integrator (MSI) for a cloud-based email solution.
* **Features and Capabilities:**
* Ensures professional upgrades, seamless migration, and integration of modern office tools.
* Includes various subscription plans (Standard, Business, Enterprise) with features like calendar management and secure file sharing.
* **Data Ownership and Security:**
* Government ownership of all data and IP generated.
* Guaranteed continuity and rollback options are in place.
* Mandates encryption of all email data both at rest and in transit using RSA 256 and TLS 1.3 standards.
* Compliance with ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, and ISO 27018 control standards.
* Technical security requirements include Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), geo-fencing, IP-based restrictions, and anti-spoofing measures.
* **Service Reliability and Business Continuity:**
* Requires a service availability uptime of at least 99.9%.
* Service provider must maintain Disaster Recovery sites in different seismic zones (at least 500 km apart) with strict Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO).
* **Migration Status:**
* 12.68 Lakhs accounts have been migrated to Zoho, including 7.45 Lakhs Central Government Employees.
**Impact Analysis**
**Central Government Ministries and Departments:**
* **Impact:** Ministries and Departments are required to use NIC-provided email services, now Zoho-based.
* **Action Required:** Adopt the new Zoho-based email platform for official communication, adhering to security protocols and standards.
**Government Employees:**
* **Impact:** Central Government employees' email accounts have been migrated to the Zoho platform.
* **Action Required:** Migrate to the new Zoho email platform, utilize MFA, and adhere to the security protocols outlined.
**National Informatics Centre (NIC):**
* **Impact:** NIC is responsible for overseeing the Zoho-based email migration and ensuring compliance with government mandates.
* **Action Required:** Manage the migration process, ensure security standards are met, and provide support to government entities.
**M/s Zoho:**
* **Impact:** As the MSI, Zoho is responsible for providing a secure and reliable cloud-based email solution to the government.
* **Action Required:** Ensure compliance with government security requirements and SLAs, maintain high uptime, and provide necessary support.
Key Entities Referenced
National Informatics Centre (NIC): Government mandates that only email services provided by the NIC shall be used for official communication.
Zoho: A Master System Integrator (MSI) selected by the NIC to provide a cloud-based email solution for Government users.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology: The Ministry under whose purview the email migration project and security standards are implemented.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1805
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 10.12.2025
COST AND OVERSIGHT OF ZOHO-BASED EMAIL MIGRATION
1805. SHRI ABHISHEK BANERJEE:
Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:
(a) the number of Central Government employees whose official email accounts have been migrated to
Zoho’s platform as on 30 September 2025, Ministry-wise;
(b) the total expenditure incurred on the migration process including software licences, infrastructure
and training and the annual recurring cost since Financial Year 2023–24; and
(c) whether Service Level Agreements (SLAs) exist to ensure data availability, security audit rights and
rollback options and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI JITIN PRASADA)
(a) to (c) :The Government recognises the critical importance of having a robust, sovereign and secure
official email system for its Ministries and Departments. Accordingly, the Government mandates that only
email services provided by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) shall be used for official
communication.
To ensure this, the government through NIC has selected a Master System Integrator (MSI) – M/s Zoho
as a robust cloud-based email solution capable of supporting all Government users.
The model ensures professional upgrades, seamless migration of existing accounts, and integration of
modern office productivity tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software.
The contract includes provisions ensuring Government ownership of all data and IP generated during the
engagement, along with guaranteed continuity and rollback options, where required.
The security architecture of the e-mail platform has been defined rigorously to protect critical government
data. The solution mandates that all email data be encrypted both at rest and in transit, with specific
requirements for end-to-end encryption using RSA 256 and TLS 1.3 standards.
The service provider is required to comply with rigorous control standards and certifications, including
ISO 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, and ISO 27018.
Key technical security requirements include:• Implementation of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for user identities across all protocols
(Web, IMAP, SMTP, POP, and Calendar)
• Application of Geo-fencing and IP-based restrictions, and
• Use of industry standards and policies to combat email spoofing
The service is designed for high reliability, mandating a service availability uptime of at least 99.9% on a
24x7x365 basis.
The solution includes varied subscription plans (Standard, Business, Enterprise) along with integrated
features like calendar management, task scheduling, and secure file sharing.
To ensure business continuity, the service provider is required to maintain Disaster Recovery sites in
different seismic zones at least 500 kilometres apart, with strict Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and
Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) to minimize data loss during contingencies.
The number of accounts migrated to Zoho platform is around 12.68 Lakhs which includes 7.45 Lakhs
Central Government Employees.
******