By Kavita Mistry 
Last Updated:
Kant on Tuesday said the country has seen a sharp rise in cyber attacks, with such incidents increasing by nearly 300% between 2021 and 2024
The ‘Cyber Shikshit Bharat’ initiative is inspired by the Indian government’s Viksit Bharat and Cyber Surakshit Bharat missions. (Image: News18)
India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said the country has seen a sharp rise in cyber attacks, with such incidents increasing by nearly 300% between 2021 and 2024.
Speaking at the launch of ‘Cyber Shikshit Bharat‘ in New Delhi, Kant also revealed that during the G20 Summit in September 2023, the summit’s official website faced over 16 lakh cyber intrusion attempts per minute
The ‘Cyber Shikshit Bharat‘ programme was launched during an international seminar titled ‘Cyber Warfare 2025: Strategies and Challenges’, organised by Lisianthus Tech, a cybersecurity solutions company.
Kant, who is also the former CEO of NITI Aayog, noted that in 2024, the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector experienced a sharp surge in both the sophistication and variety of cyber attacks, with the average cost of a data breach in India reaching nearly $2.8 million.
“Growing use of cyber tools not only to steal and disrupt but to manipulate and influence is, much growing concern. It demands coordination between defence, intelligence, diplomacy, industry, private sector and civil society,” Kant said.
He also highlighted several initiatives taken by the Modi government towards strengthening India’s cyber ecosystem, including the national cyber security policy 2013.
The ‘Cyber Shikshit Bharat’ initiative, inspired by the Indian government’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Cyber Surakshit Bharat‘ missions, aims to create a Central Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence in India. The initiative will focus on AI-driven security, digital risk management, hardware-based protection, and global policy advocacy.
Jayant Sinha, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, who also spoke at the event, pointed to the country’s shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. He pointed the need for implementing and enforcing strong cybersecurity regulations.
“India has been witnessing a sharp increase in cybercrime. While large corporations are increasingly adopting cyber security measures, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and individual users lack awareness of the importance of protecting their digital assets,” Sinha said.
Elaborating on the role of the CAG as the Supreme Audit Institution of India, Sinha said it plays a crucial role in auditing cybersecurity practices within government bodies and public sector organisations.
“The CAG of India mandates that auditors assess the adequacy of information system security audits, including compliance with guidelines issued by the Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) and CERT-In,” Sinha said, adding that a concerted approach involving government initiatives, industry investment, upskilling of professionals, and adoption of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to tackle the country’s cybersecurity challenges.
Stressing on the importance of developing a cyber safe ecosystem, Vinod G. Khandare, Principal Adviser to the Ministry of Defence and former Lieutenant General, said that a ‘Viksit Bharat‘ can happen only with a ‘Surakshit Bharat’.
“A nation needs to strengthen its cyber foundation. If that is done, there will be no sudden awakening. Every individual using a computer and a phone is vulnerable to cyber-attack. A cyber war is never declared, there are no boundaries and you never know who is the enemy. To trust and to verify is the golden rule. Becoming a cyber safe nation is also the roadmap to becoming an economic power,” Khandare said.
Meanwhile, SK Verma, Chairman of Lisianthus Tech, said cyber warfare as not only a technological challenge but a geopolitical one.
“From state-sponsored attacks targeting critical infrastructure to cybercriminals exploiting vulnerabilities for financial and strategic gain, the threats we face are evolving at an unprecedented pace. In this era of hybrid warfare, cyber operations have become integral to military strategies, intelligence gathering, and even political influence. Reactive measures are insufficient in modern cyber warfare. We must embrace advanced threat intelligence, AI-driven security frameworks, and real-time monitoring to stay ahead of adversaries,” Verma said.
Khushhal Kaushik, founder and CEO of Lisianthus Tech, said the programme aims to strengthen India’s digital infrastructure, train future-ready professionals, and contribute to the creation of a secure global cyber ecosystem.