How India laid out a digital line of control for its adversary

The digital steps included blocking nearly 8,000 social media accounts, 90% of which were Pakistan-based, officials said

- Sunetra Choudhury

NEW DELHI: Shortly after Indian jets fired cruise missiles at terror targets deep inside Pakistan to launch Operation Sindoor on May 7, officials in Delhi mobilised for a parallel battle in the digital realm.

Government cyber teams tripled in size overnight to counter what became an unprecedented flood of disinformation—including sophisticated deepfakes—while simultaneously coordinating cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, particularly within the financial sector.

For the first time, senior officials have revealed to HT the full digital dimension of the four-day conflict, which the government now classifies as India’s first experience with “war in the age of social media.”

The measures included a flurry of near-immediate takedown orders against narratives falsely claiming Indian military casualties, and defensive protocols that included the extraordinary step of temporarily taking offline at least two small financial institutions deemed vulnerable to cyberattacks.