Securing the spine of India's digital infrastructure

With data pipelines under the regulatory lens, India must embed cybersecurity into every layer of its digital infrastructure, ensuring trust and resilience.

- PRAKASH KUMAR

India's digital infrastructure is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by flagship initiatives such as Digital India and the rapid adoption of cloud technologies across various sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, and fintech. According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the country had over 700 million Internet users as of 2023, making it one of the largest online populations globally.

India is also the second-largest smartphone market, and the use of cloud-based solutions has expanded significantly over the past decade. This surge in digital usage, particularly in fintech, healthcare, and manufacturing, has elevated data to the role of operational backbone. However, it has also introduced new vulnerabilities. In today's increasingly regulated environment, securing data pipelines is not optional—it is a critical imperative for long-term digital stability.

THE DPDP ACT: A NEW ERA FOR DATA GOVERNANCE

The introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act marks a transformative moment in India's data governance landscape. Drawing from global benchmarks such as the GDPR, the Act emphasises data minimisation, purpose limitation, and the necessity of individual consent. Organisations now have both a legal and ethical obligation to overhaul their data handling practices. They must also ensure that the collection, processing, storage, and sharing of data are secure and transparent.