Has Budget 2025 Addressed India's Cyberthreat?

MSMEs need support from the govt. The Budget shows the govt's need move to fulfil this

- SACHHIN GAJJAER

Historically, India’s investment in cybersecurity has been modest compared to global standards. Yet, as threats evolve, there’s an urgent need to allocate significant resources to protect critical sectors like energy, healthcare and transportation. Budget 2025 could play a transformative role by channelling funds toward upgrading cybersecurity infrastructure and fostering innovation through partnerships between the government and private players. Dedicated research and development funding for indigenous cybersecurity solutions can also provide tailored strategies to counter India-specific challenges.

From ransomware to phishing scams and massive data breaches, these threats are becoming more sophisticated and frequent, exposing vulnerabilities across sectors such as banking, healthcare and government systems. In 2023 alone, CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) reported over 1.4 million cybersecurity incidents, a stark reminder that India’s digital progress is at risk. With Budget 2025 on the horizon, there is hope that it will prioritise strengthening India’s cybersecurity framework to safeguard the nation’s digital ambitions.