Free Software Foundation of India

{{short description|Foundation promoting Free Software movement}}

{{redirect|FSFI|the Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale|International Women's Sports Federation}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}

{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Free Software Foundation India

| image = Fsfi-logo.svg

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| abbreviation = FSFI

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| formation = {{start date and age|df=yes|paren=yes|2001|07|20}}

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| type = Charitable organization

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| headquarters = Kerala, India

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| region_served = India

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| affiliations = FSF* network{{Cite web|url=https://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/about/constitution.en.html|title = ::[FSFLA]:: Constitution for FSF Latin America}}{{Failed verification|date=June 2022}}

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| website = {{url|https://fsf.org.in/}}

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The Free Software Foundation of India (FSFI) is the Indian sister organisation to the US-based Free Software Foundation. It was founded in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) (the capital of Kerala) in 2001[http://noticias.hipatia.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1495&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 FSF-I inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram by Dr. Richard M. Stallman]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} as a non-profit Company.[http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8675 The What, Why and When of Free Software in India] The FSFI advocates to promote the use and development of free software in India. This includes educating people about free software, including how it can help the economy of a developing country like India. FSF India regards non-free software as not a solution, but a problem to be solved. Free software is sometimes locally called swatantra software in India.

In 2003, after meeting with FSF founder Richard Stallman, the President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam[http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/01/2054254 Stallman Goes to India][https://web.archive.org/web/20040216002739/http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/01/stories/2004020104231000.htm Kalam, Stallman discuss open source software] urged Indian computer scientists and professionals to use free and open-source software[http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/02/182243 Indian President Advises Open Source Approach] in research and development.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040805122346/http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/02/stories/2004070200991300.htm Opt for open source codes for better software security: Kalam]