India’s cybersecurity startups are increasingly seeking mergers with overseas companies in a bid to scale, a trend that will persist unless domestic demand for cybersecurity products improves, said S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Speaking at the launch of the white paper ‘Transitioning to Quantum Cyber Readiness’—jointly authored by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and cybersecurity firm SISA—Krishnan highlighted the urgent need for stronger local uptake of cybersecurity tools and services.
“This won’t change until Indians start paying for cybersecurity tools and services,” Krishnan said, noting that the limited domestic demand is stunting the growth of indigenous cybersecurity capabilities.
Referencing an assessment by CERT-In, the IT secretary said that ideally 15–20% of all spending on software, IT, and digital infrastructure should be allocated toward cybersecurity. India, however, is yet to meet this benchmark.
While the government is considering mandating the use of Indian-made cybersecurity solutions in critical sectors, Krishnan acknowledged that the ecosystem is not currently equipped to handle such requirements. ‘It’s a chicken-and-egg situation,’ he said. ‘Domestic capacity can’t grow without a strong market, and without that capacity, mandates aren’t feasible.’
He further emphasized the geopolitical imperative for strategic cybersecurity preparedness. ‘India’s not very friendly neighbourhood makes cybersecurity even more urgent,’ he said. The country, he added, must aim for ‘fully homegrown solutions in both hardware and software’ to safeguard its digital infrastructure.
The white paper launch comes amid a growing recognition of the importance of quantum-safe cybersecurity frameworks, especially in light of emerging threats posed by quantum computing to current encryption methods.
