New Delhi, Dec 13: India’s national cyber security agency CERT-In is developing a robust and trusted cyber defence framework aligned with the Digital India vision through research collaborations, public-private partnerships, and active participation in international forums, according to an official statement released Saturday.

Dr Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In and Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) at MeitY, underscored that CERT-In issues timely alerts and tailored advisories to organisations and citizens against emerging threats, ensuring proactive protection without causing unnecessary panic.

Speaking at a session for visiting journalists from Europe, America and Central Asian countries, Dr Bahl highlighted the role and responsibilities of the agency in cyber security, crisis management, vulnerability assessment, information sharing, and coordinated response to cyber incidents, empanelment of auditors, specialised training programmes in India.

Dr Bahl also underscored India’s rapid emergence as a global cybersecurity hub, driven by more than 400 startups and a skilled workforce of over 6.5 lakh professionals, powering a $20 billion cybersecurity industry.

At the session, he noted that these innovators are building advanced solutions for threat detection, cyber forensics, and AI-based monitoring systems, reinforcing India’s commitment to a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.

Dr Bahl observed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) acts as a double-edged sword — enabling both defenders and adversaries.

He elaborated on how CERT-In leverages AI-driven analytics and automation to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber incidents in real time, while also developing countermeasures against malicious AI-enabled attacks.

The visiting journalists were briefed on CERT-In’s continuous drills, capacity-building initiatives, and international collaborations.

Dr Bahl also stated that India reported 147 ransomware incidents in 2024, adding that CERT-In’s coordinated actions significantly mitigated their impact through real-time intelligence sharing and forensic interventions.

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Krishan Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, MeitY, highlighted various initiative of the ministry, including the ‘India AI Impact Summit’, scheduled to be held in February 2026, policy support for startups developing indigenous cybersecurity solutions, cyber-security research and development, various national level initiatives and projects of the ministry.

(IANS)