India’s cybersecurity ecosystem is undergoing a decisive transformation, emerging as one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital defence markets. During an interactive session with visiting journalists from European Union (EU) countries in New Delhi, Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), outlined the scale, depth, and strategic direction of India’s cyber preparedness. The session, jointly organised by MeitY and the Ministry of External Affairs, offered a structured assessment of India’s response mechanisms, institutional frameworks, and international partnerships.
A Sector Powered by 400+ Startups and 650,000 Cyber Professionals
Dr. Bahl positioned India as a rising global cybersecurity hub driven by an expanding pool of specialised talent and a dynamic entrepreneurial base. India now hosts more than 400 cybersecurity startups, supported by over 6.5 lakh trained professionals—together powering a domestic industry valued at approximately USD 20 billion. This combination of talent and innovation capacity is reshaping India’s ability to build indigenous tools for threat detection, AI-enabled monitoring, and digital forensics.
What sets India’s architecture apart is not merely scale, but the accelerating shift from imported solutions to locally designed and context-specific security tools. Startups are increasingly supplying solutions to critical sectors such as fintech, cooperatives, healthcare, and cloud infrastructure, reducing external dependence and strengthening national resilience.
AI as a Strategic Capability—and a Vulnerability
A recurring theme in Dr. Bahl’s remarks was the dual-use character of artificial intelligence. While AI enhances the speed and precision of CERT-In’s threat detection systems, it also empowers adversaries to automate attacks, deploy deepfakes, and orchestrate high-volume intrusions.
CERT-In’s response has been to institutionalise AI-driven analytics for early detection, automate incident response workflows, and invest in counter-AI defence research. India’s approach recognises that cybersecurity in the next decade will be defined by algorithmic warfare and the battle for predictive capabilities.
Ransomware Spike: 147 Incidents in 2024, but Impact Contained
India reported 147 ransomware incidents in 2024—a sharp reminder of the vulnerabilities associated with rapid digitisation across sectors. However, Dr. Bahl highlighted that prompt interventions, real-time intelligence sharing, and forensic triage significantly reduced both financial and operational damage. CERT-In’s sector-specific advisories to banks, small enterprises, and public-sector entities helped prevent escalation and contagion effects.
Strengthening Institutions: Continuous Drills, Crisis Protocols, and Sectoral Interventions
EU journalists were briefed on the strategic functions of CERT-In:
- Coordinated crisis management for major cyber incidents
- Real-time vulnerability assessments and threat alerts
- Tailored advisories for businesses, infrastructure operators, and citizens
- Regular national cyber drills and red-teaming exercises
- Forensic investigations supporting law enforcement and critical entities
Importantly, India’s cybersecurity strengthening of cooperative banks—often the weakest link in the financial ecosystem—was featured in the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025. Such interventions show CERT-In’s shift towards micro-sector resilience rather than only large-scale institutional defence.
Deepening Global Partnerships: EU Collaborations Expand India’s Cyber Diplomacy
Collaboration with the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) to produce the joint high-level analysis report, Building Trust in AI through a Cyber Risk-Based Approach, signals India’s move into the centre of global cyber governance discourse. Joint drills with the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats further indicate that India is expanding from operational readiness to geopolitical cyber cooperation.
Cybersecurity Strategy is Moving from Defensive to Developmental
Three trends stand out from the briefing:
- Security is becoming a driver of digital industry growth rather than a reactive function. The $20 billion industry is increasingly tied to startup innovation and export opportunities.
- India’s cyber diplomacy is maturing, with structured partnerships transitioning from information exchange to co-developed frameworks on AI risk, hybrid threats, and digital trust.
- Domestic resilience strategies now include sub-sectors like cooperatives, SMEs, and citizen devices, acknowledging that attacks often originate from the weakest nodes in a widely connected economy.
As India scales into a trillion-dollar digital economy, CERT-In’s model—combining homegrown solutions, global partnerships, and institutionalised drills—signals a maturing cyber ecosystem capable of shaping regional and global cyber norms.
This trajectory positions India not just as a consumer of cybersecurity solutions, but as an emerging producer and rule-shaper in the digital security domain.
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