INDIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Probir Roy Chowdhury and Shivani Bhatnagar, JSA
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The Indian Cybersecurity Landscape: Rapid Progress and Increased Vulnerabilities India is at the forefront of a digital revolution, adapting to new technology and improving gov - ernment services for its people. From pioneering instant payment systems such as UPI (Unified Payments Interface) – which processes more than 16 billion transactions monthly – to piloting central bank digital currencies, the country has cemented its leadership in digitalising financial ecosystems. This rapid digitalisation, however, is a double- edged sword. As India accelerates its journey toward becoming a USD1 trillion digital econ - omy by 2030, with digital services projected to contribute 20% of GDP by 2026, its expanding cyber frontier has become a magnet for mali - cious actors. Today, the nation accounts for 13.7% of global cyber-incidents. The Indian government’s push to digitalise gov - ernance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure has undeniably improved accessibility and effi - ciency for millions. At the same time, it has also exposed systemic fragilities: a population still
adapting to digital literacy, organisations lagging in cyberhygiene, and sectors such as healthcare and finance – lifelines of the digital economy – emerging as prime targets for ransomware and data extortion. Meanwhile, the rise of AI intro - duces new complexities, from ethically fraught dilemmas to sophisticated malware capable of evading traditional defences. Against this backdrop, India’s cybersecurity landscape in 2025 is defined by a race between a relentless pace of innovation and an evolving sophistication of threats. While progressive leg - islation such as the Digital Personal Data Protec - tion Act 2023 (DPDPA) and the updated National Cybersecurity Strategy aim to fortify defences, gaps persist. Trends in cybersecurity incidents The cybersecurity environment in India under - went notable changes in 2024, presenting a complex picture of challenges and improve - ments alike. According to the Data Security Council of India’s Cyber Threat Report 2025 (the “Report”), the country experienced signifi - cant malware activity while showing enhanced
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