India's Call for Digital Independence: Neeraj Dangi Advocates for Indigenous Search Engine

Amid growing concerns over digital sovereignty and privacy, Rajya Sabha Congress MP Neeraj Dangi pushed for India to develop its own internet search engine. Arguing during the Zero Hour session, Dangi stressed the risks posed by foreign firms like Google, which collect and analyze data from 1.4 billion Indians.

Dangi highlighted that nations like China, Russia, and France have their own widely-used indigenous search engines, securing digital independence. He warned that ongoing reliance on foreign platforms could pose national security risks, especially in situations of geopolitics like US-India tensions.

Emphasizing previous incidents like Microsoft's service suspension post-EU sanctions, Dangi urged the government to take immediate action. He called for the issuance of a white paper and the development of a roadmap for launching a localized search engine.