DigiBoxx, a Made-in-India SaaS (Storage-as-a-Service) company, is revolutionizing cloud-based managed storage services with its intelligent digital file storage and cloud backup solutions. With innovative products like DigiBoxx, DigiFotos, DigiShare, and Megh3, the platform has become a go-to solution for Indian enterprises and individuals. Last year, DigiBoxx introduced Megh3 in collaboration with Hitachi Systems, providing a highly compatible S3 storage solution designed to elevate data storage experiences to new heights. Recently, Arnab Mitra, CEO of DigiBoxx, spoke with Tech Achieve Media about the company’s latest milestone, its partnership with Arctera, and shared insights into the future roadmap envisioned for Megh3.
TAM: What challenges in the market did you want to address with the launch of Megh3?
Arnab Mitra: so if you want to understand the technology behind it, it’s an S3 bucket.
Now, many people believe that S3 is owned by AWS, but that’s not entirely true. S3 is actually a protocol, much like FTP or HTTP. It’s called S3, and while Amazon has heavily marketed it, making it synonymous with AWS in many people’s minds, the protocol itself isn’t owned by anyone.
To explain S3 in simpler terms: think of it as a bucket where you store your data, and you can access it whenever needed. That’s the basic concept. In India, we didn’t have a native option like this. So, the need for us to launch an India-first S3 storage solution was very clear. We wanted to create a product specifically designed for our market.
When we launched, we quickly realized that a solution like this would gain significant traction. However, as a small company, it would be challenging for us to manage the growing demand on our own. S3 storage is a real need, and scaling to meet customer expectations required more resources than we had. That’s how Megh3 was born.
TAM: With Megh3 priced at Rs 1,299 per terabyte per month, how does DigiBoxx balance affordability with premium service delivery for corporates?
Arnab Mitra: Honestly, it’s been a challenge for us from the very beginning. When we launched DigiBoxx, Mr. Amitabh Kant himself gave us a clear and concise target. His one-line brief was: “It has to be affordable. Indians should believe that you can provide an Indian product priced for India.”
These were his exact words: “Priced for India, but with global standards.” This meant creating a product that was locally relevant yet met international benchmarks, which, of course, has been no small feat.
The challenge has been significant, but the way we built our technology has helped us navigate it. We’ve leveraged cutting-edge, modern technology, which is increasingly becoming more open-ended and open source. This approach allows us to keep things lightweight and efficient.
Moreover, the technology we’ve developed enables us to store significantly more data within the same space, thanks to the algorithms we’ve written. These innovations have helped us optimize costs and, in turn, offer a more cost-effective solution than many others in the market.
TAM: This is a crowded market with many larger players like Acronis and Veeam. Beyond the pricing aspect, what is your competitive advantage?
Arnab Mitra: Acronis, Veeam, Commvault, and even our current partner, Backup Exec, are all our partners—we’re not competing with them. To clarify, Megh3 is not a competitor to these companies; instead, it’s a competitor to Amazon S3. Megh3 focuses on backup storage, while these companies provide backup software. What we’re presenting today is the story of how backup software and backup storage come together to create an India-first solution that caters to the needs of the Indian audience.
In many ways, these companies are our collaborators, not competitors. The strength of Megh3 lies in its compatibility. We’ve built a product that works seamlessly with all of them—be it global players like Veritas NetBackup, or solutions from Veeam, Acronis, and even Wasabi.
TAM: Who are some of the early adopters of Megh3?
Arnab Mitra: Many India-first entrepreneurs are genuinely excited about adopting Indian products, and we’re incredibly grateful for their support. One such supporter is Rorito, formerly known as Rotomac, the pen company. They were one of our very first buyers. We also have clients like Cholamandalam, a major insurance company, and the Madhya Pradesh Education Board, which I’d describe as not just a buyer but a believer in our vision. Additionally, several government organizations, such as the Border Roads Organization, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation, and the National Skill Development Corporation, have shown great interest in our product.
This interest from government bodies has been driven, in part, by regulatory factors like the Data Protection Bill, SEBI guidelines, and RBI regulations. These developments encourage organizations to prioritize data sovereignty and security. Many of these organizations are now keen to move their data to a truly India-first product, ensuring that their files remain within the borders of the country. This reassurance of data security and compliance has been a significant factor in their decision-making.
TAM: What are your views of the DPDPA? How does it impact DigiBoxx?
Arnab Mitra: One significant advantage we have is our close collaboration with organizations like MeiTY, NITI Aayog, and even the Government of India. Being an active participant in the development of the Data Protection Bill has given us an insider perspective on the entire process.
Now, if I compare this law to other data protection frameworks like GDPR or similar regulations, I can confidently say that India has crafted one of the most robust and well-balanced data protection laws I’ve seen in my experience. It’s fair, transparent, and strongly focused on consumer rights.
What stands out is the India Stack, a data framework built and owned by the Indian government. Unlike GDPR or other laws, where private entities often have significant control, the Indian government ensures that this stack is entirely under its purview. This means no private companies, including ours, have direct access to the stack unless granted by the consumer.
For example, platforms like DigiBoxx, DigiYatra, or DigiLocker can access this data only through the permissions provided by the government and the individual user. The government’s approach is clear: they don’t intend to commercialize data but rather act as a provider, facilitator, and validator of accurate information.
The creation of this law involved extensive collaboration with organizations like CII, IAMAI, and the newly established Center for Digital Future, where we are also a contributing member. Input from multiple stakeholders, including myself and many others, was instrumental in shaping this legislation. Overall, we see only positive outcomes from this law. It is making digital governance more exclusive and well-defined for every country, ensuring data sovereignty and trust.
TAM: Tell us about your parternship with Arctera?
Arnab Mitra: We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Backup Exec from Arctera! First, congratulations to Arctera on the launch of this brand-new venture. To provide a brief overview, Arctera owns Backup Exec, a cutting-edge backup software, while DigiBoxx offers Megh3, an advanced backup storage solution. Together, we are fusing these two technologies to create a seamless Backup-as-a-Solution tailored for Indian companies.
This partnership ensures that all data remains within the political boundaries of India, guaranteeing 100% data residency. Moreover, we’re offering this solution at a highly cost-effective price, providing significant benefits to customers looking for secure and reliable data management solutions. We’re confident that this collaboration will set a new benchmark for data backup and storage solutions in India.
