Chennai | The home-grown web browser Ulaa, developed by global technology company Zoho, has bagged the top honours at the Indian Web Browser Development Challenge, organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), C-DAC under the Centre's ambitious 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, the city-based company said on Friday.

As many as 434 teams registered in the Challenge while eight teams reached the final stage. After a three-stage evaluation, Ulaa was crowned winner for its cutting-edge security features, machine language powered phishing detection and a 24 hour security patch policy.

Zoho had rolled out the web browser Ulaa, a Tamil word which refers to journey or a trip, in May 2023.

"Competitions like the Indian Web Browser Development Challenge enable an environment for indigenous technology to prosper, where it's not just about building technology, but about laying the foundation for technological self-reliance, and we are grateful for the recognition Ulaa has received in this respect," Zoho CEO Mani Vembu said in a company statement here.

"Ulaa redefines browsing by treating privacy as a fundamental right not a business model --- ensuring it remains free for all individuals while never monetising user data. On the enterprise front, Ulaa Enterprise empowers businesses with advanced security, productivity, and visibility tools that protect sensitive information and minimise risks," he added.