Defending the Digital Kingdom - Why Cybersecurity Solutions Should Be Indigenous?

Speaking to The Hans India, - Ankush Tiwari, Founder & CEO, pi-labs.ai, emphasized India’s urgent need to establish a self-reliant digital ecosystem, addressing vulnerabilities in an increasingly interconnected world.

India's dependence on foreign-controlled digital infrastructure poses serious risks to its sovereignty, emphasizing the urgent need for an Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) ecosystem to protect its digital independence and reduce vulnerabilities in an interconnected world.

In 1999, during the Kargil War, India faced challenges with foreign defence suppliers. Agencies detected significant intrusions from Pakistan, intensifying the conflict. Amid the war, Indian soldiers faced ammunition shortages and placed urgent orders, but international pressure delayed deliveries. Many nations openly supported Pakistan. However, Israel defied global pressure, supplying mortar ammunition and laser-guided missiles at a critical moment.

India triumphed due to the courage of its jawans, but the experience underscored Chanakya's warning about reliance on others. It highlighted how foreign defence supplies are often driven by geopolitical interests. True security comes from self-reliance, not dependency on allies.

Post-Kargil, governments have worked to advance technological know-how and indigenize defence capabilities. The Make-in-India initiative reflects ongoing efforts to ensure self-reliance. However, while lessons from defending physical territories have been heeded, they haven't been extended to the digital realm. In the 21st century, digital domains are borderless and controlled by algorithms, making them far more powerful than physical kingdoms. Yet, India's digital sovereignty remains vulnerable due to its reliance on imported software stacks.

The current reality of the Indian digital kingdom

The current reality of India's digital landscape reveals a monopoly of the largest search engine, making it the primary gateway. Similarly, email services essential for online communication are dominated by foreign companies. Video content consumption and social media interactions are governed by algorithms beyond Indian control, despite being a leading userbase for these platforms. These algorithms influence public sentiment but remain outside the oversight of Indian authorities.

In the smartphone segment, Chinese manufacturers have outpaced Indian brands, further emphasizing external dominance. Big Tech companies effectively control the Indian digital ecosystem, with some facing allegations of election interference and class-action suits in their home countries. These global entities extend their influence globally, including India. Additionally, cybersecurity and cyberforensics tools used in the country are predominantly non-Indian, leaving India's digital framework vulnerable. This reliance on foreign technologies makes the nation susceptible to risks.

Towards the Atmanirbhar Digital Kingdom

In a digital realm dominated by foreign entities, India's defence establishment faces significant challenges in ensuring cybersecurity. Billions of terabytes of data flow unchecked across borders, while algorithms influence the information consumed by Indian citizens. Personal details of Indians are stored on servers located abroad. In 2023, India experienced over 79 million cyber-attacks, ranking third globally. These threats are intensifying amidst US-China tariff wars, which are steering the world toward de-globalization.

In the physical realm, India has taken significant steps to indigenize its military arsenal. The nation's defence relies solely on Indian nationals to safeguard borders, shape security policies, and make critical deterrence decisions. Companies in the defence sector supporting this domain have seen remarkable growth, with their stocks attracting investors due to the government’s continued focus on Indigenous weaponry.

Conversely, in the borderless digital domain, India lags due to foreign control over critical infrastructure. Steps like data localization have been introduced for sensitive digital activities. In April 2018, the RBI mandated that all Payment System Operators store data within India, even banning two major card networks for non-compliance. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill further strengthens this stance, requiring the appointment of India-based Data Protection Officers.

Digital Kingdom, Cyber security and Algorithms

Regardless of India’s data localization laws, the reality is that regulators have limited leverage to ensure compliance or effectively monitor the digital ecosystem. Big Tech will continue prioritizing their local jurisdiction laws over Indian mandates. Just as we can’t rely on foreign ammunitions, we can’t depend on outsourced GPUs. Our digital ecosystem lacks access to refined data and the ability to adapt algorithms to our geopolitical needs.

India urgently requires indigenous software, homegrown AI models, domestic servers, and social media platforms to replace the advanced technologies we currently import. Cybersecurity solutions are essential to safeguard our systems. We also need talent to train large language models (LLMs), enterprises to compete globally, and a robust digital infrastructure to fill critical gaps if foreign supplies are disrupted, as during the Kargil war. To achieve this, a strong investor community must support these efforts, enabling India’s digital landscape to replicate the success of its physical infrastructure. 

Thus, India’s digital kingdom needs to be atmanirbhar. During the Kargil War, India faced enemies despite the shortage of ammunition and delayed delivery. During the pandemic, we saw how even developed European countries depended on India for vaccines after outsourcing its critical manufacturing capabilities. As a new era of digital warfare emerges, Cybersecurity should form an innate element of the Indian defence budget for fighting the wars of the future.