Zerodha, India’s largest stockbroking platform, has announced the second and final tranche of investment worth $675,000 in its $1 million annual Free / Libre and Open Source Software (FOSS / FLOSS) fund. With this, the fintech major wraps up its 2025 FOSS investment cycle, having earlier disbursed $325,000 in the first tranche.
Kailash Nadh, Zerodha’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), shared the update in a blog post, reaffirming the company’s long-term vision to strengthen the global open-source ecosystem. The fund supports initiatives across developer tools, consumer apps, programming languages, libraries, and humanitarian tech projects.
Supporting Global Open Source Development
According to Nadh, FOSS is not just about free access — it’s about empowering innovation. Popular examples include Linux, Ubuntu, and Mozilla Firefox. Since launching the first tranche in May 2025, Zerodha’s fund has already invested $195,000 into notable projects such as Krita, OpenSSL Library, and Weblate.
Funding distribution takes between four to sixteen weeks post-announcement, reflecting Zerodha’s careful selection and due diligence. With over 300 applications received in its first year, much of the outreach has been community-driven, relying on volunteer participation within FOSS networks.
The Case for a Sovereign FOSS Fund
Nadh emphasized the strategic importance of FOSS for tech sovereignty, especially for nations like India. He urged the creation of a “sovereign FOSS fund”, similar to efforts led by initiatives such as Germany’s Sovereign Tech Fund, NLNet (EU-supported), and the US National Science Foundation (NSF).
“Given the focus on tech sovereignty, now feels like the most opportune moment to establish a sovereign FOSS fund — a move of direct strategic national importance,” Nadh stated. He believes such a move would mutually benefit the open-source community, government, and industry alike.
Future Plans: Partnerships and Next Funding Cycle
Looking ahead, Zerodha aims to allocate another $1 million in 2026, with an eye on open directory project listings and strategic partnerships. The company is exploring a collaboration with GitHub Sponsors to streamline fund distribution and provide developers with more accessible payment channels.
“We have been working on establishing a formal partnership with GitHub Sponsors to enable projects to choose it as a channel for getting paid,” Nadh wrote.
Zerodha’s Financial Overview
While the company continues its investment in open innovation, Zerodha reported a 15% decline in net profit to ₹4,200 crore for FY25, compared to ₹10,000 crore in revenue the previous year. Despite this dip, the firm’s sustained commitment to FOSS demonstrates a focus beyond profitability — towards building long-term, sustainable technology ecosystems.
SEO-Optimized Summary
Zerodha’s latest $675,000 tranche marks the completion of its $1 million 2025 FOSS fund, supporting global open-source projects like Krita and OpenSSL. CTO Kailash Nadh urges India to set up a sovereign FOSS fund to boost national tech independence. With plans for another $1 million allocation in 2026 and a future partnership with GitHub Sponsors, Zerodha continues to strengthen global open innovation.
