Context:
The Indian government has awarded ₹1 crore to Tenkasi-based Zoho Corporation for developing an indigenous web browser named Ulaa.
Key Purpose
- The core requirement for the browser is to trust India’s own root certifying authority.
- This move aims to ensure India has internet resilience in case of a global internet disconnection or security crisis.
What is a Root Certifying Authority?
- These are organizations that validate the trustworthiness of SSL certificates (seen as the “https” lock icon in URLs).
- India’s Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) under the IT Ministry has its own root certificate.
- However, after a 2014 security breach, where fake SSL certificates were issued from government systems, major browsers stopped trusting CCA’s certificates.
Current Status
- Only one Indian company, eMudhra’s emSign, is globally recognized as a root certifying authority.
- The new browser Ulaa is designed to accept the Indian root certificate, reinstating domestic trust and security.
