India aims to promote swadeshi technology while curbing misuse

India is trying to become self-reliant in technology, also called Swadeshi tech. The government wants to make Indian software and apps that can replace foreign products like Chrome, Microsoft Office, or other global tools. The idea is not only about business or money—it is also about national security and independence. If India relies too much on foreign technology, it could face problems in the future.

In 2023, the Indian IT Ministry launched a competition called the Indian Web Browser Development Challenge. The goal was simple: make an Indian web browser that works well on phones and computers. The winner was Zoho, which is already an established Indian tech company. Zoho’s browser was praised for being original and reliable. Two runners-up were also selected, and one of them was Ping Browser. The Ping Browser team received a cash prize of Rs 75 lakh and posed happily with the cheque handed over by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. At first, everything seemed fine.

The problem with shortcuts and copies

Soon after the prize was given, social media and online forums noticed something strange. The Ping Browser appeared to be a copy of the Brave browser, a U.S.-based product. It was not just built on Chromium, which is allowed, but it had copied Brave’s code almost entirely, changing only a few assets like the logo. In other words, the team received a big reward for what looked like copying and repackaging someone else’s work.

This incident shows a big problem in India’s Swadeshi tech push. The country wants to make its own technology, but some teams take shortcuts or try to cheat the system. This can happen because many people do not have deep technical knowledge. Even officials awarding grants may not fully understand the code or the work submitted. Similar concerns have been raised about other projects, like Krutrim AI, which claims to be an Indian alternative to ChatGPT, or Koo, promoted as a Swadeshi social media platform.

Swadeshi tech is emotional for many Indians. People feel proud to support something “Made in India.” But this emotion can make it hard to see when a product is actually low-quality or copied. Swadeshi should mean real innovation, not just slapping a “Made in India” label on a copy of a global app. It should not mean low quality, shortcuts, or cheating. If India continues to reward such work, hustlers and grifters will take advantage of the system. They will collect money, make promises, and deliver very little.

Why India must be careful

The government is correct to promote Swadeshi tech. Using Indian software like Zoho for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations is good for independence and national security. Nationally owned technology can reduce reliance on foreign products, protect data, and build local skills. Every country, including India, needs control over essential technology. Without it, true sovereignty is not possible.

However, India must also be very careful. Technology is complex, and only experts can understand it fully. The example of Ping Browser shows that even government awards can go to projects that are not truly original. India needs better evaluation processes, stricter verification, and more technical expertise in decision-making. Grants and rewards should only go to teams that prove they are genuinely innovating.

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Swadeshi tech cannot succeed if shortcuts and grifters dominate the system. The country must teach people to think critically about indigenous products. Swadeshi should be a matter of skill, quality, and real innovation, not just nationalism or emotion. If this is done right, India can create technology that is respected globally and secure for its own use.

The Ping Browser case is a warning. It shows that while promoting Swadeshi tech is essential, India cannot afford to be naive. The government and private sector must work together to encourage real innovation, prevent cheating, and ensure that funds go to genuine creators. Otherwise, the dream of self-reliant technology will remain a dream, and India will continue to depend on foreign products for critical tasks.

In short, India should continue its push for Swadeshi technology but must keep hustlers and shortcuts away. True self-reliance will come only when innovation, skill, and quality lead the way. Awards and support must go to those who create original, useful products, not to teams that copy and repack foreign work. Only then can India build technology that is truly its own, secure, and globally competitive.