Zoho has once again stirred the tech ecosystem in India by challenging global giants with homegrown innovation. After the buzz around its Arattai messaging app, the company is now making headlines with Ulaa, its web browser that has quickly risen to the number one position on the Apple App Store. Unlike Chrome or Safari, Ulaa is designed with privacy at its core and promises a browsing experience free from data collection and intrusive tracking.
What Makes Ulaa Different
Built on Chromium, the same foundation as Google Chrome, Ulaa may look familiar but it operates very differently. Zoho has made it clear that Ulaa does not collect, store, or sell user data. This directly appeals to users who are increasingly conscious of how their information is being used online. With built in ad blockers and tracker protection, Ulaa makes browsing faster, cleaner, and more secure by default.
Multiple Modes for Every Need
One of Ulaa’s standout features is its ability to adapt to different use cases through profile modes. There are dedicated modes for work, personal browsing, kids, developers, and an open season mode for unrestricted use. This flexibility ensures that users can separate their online activities without switching between different browsers. Enterprise users benefit from work mode, developers can test in developer mode, and families can rely on kid friendly restrictions.
Backed by Indian Innovation
Ulaa is not just another browser, it has also been recognised by the Government of India. The browser won the Indian Web Browser Development Challenge organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, giving it a stamp of credibility as a strong indigenous alternative to international browsers.
Seamless Integration with Zoho Ecosystem
For users of Zoho applications, Ulaa brings another advantage. It integrates with Zoho’s single sign on authentication system, allowing users to securely log in to Zoho apps without repeatedly entering credentials. The browser also ties into Zia, Zoho’s AI powered unified search, which enhances the browsing and productivity experience for business users.
The Road Ahead
While Ulaa has made an impressive entry and gained strong momentum, it still faces competition from browsers that are leaning heavily into AI. Rivals like Perplexity are working on AI powered browsers and OpenAI is pushing ChatGPT as an agentic alternative for search and tasks. For Ulaa to maintain its lead and truly challenge Chrome’s dominance, embracing AI may eventually become a necessity.
Zoho’s Ulaa browser shows that India is no longer just consuming software from abroad but is now building tools that can compete head to head with Silicon Valley. By focusing on privacy and utility, Ulaa has struck a chord with users who are ready for a browser that prioritises them over advertisers.
Follow Tech Moves on Instagram and Facebook for more updates on Zoho, Indian tech innovation, and the latest in global technology.
