New Delhi: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), conducted a comprehensive cybersecurity familiarization visit and interactive session for visiting journalists from Europe, America, and Central Asian countries on 12 December 2025.
The informative session was chaired by Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In, and Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) at MeitY, New Delhi. Shri Krishan Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, MeitY, delivered the welcome remarks, highlighting various initiatives of the ministry, including the upcoming India AI Impact Summit.
Dr. Bahl provided a detailed overview of CERT-In’s crucial role and responsibilities, which encompass cyber security, crisis management, vulnerability assessment, information sharing, and coordinated response to cyber incidents. He also covered the empanelment of auditors and specialized training programs conducted in India. Dr. Bahl emphasized that through research collaborations, public–private partnerships, and active participation in international forums, CERT-In is diligently building a robust and trusted cyber defence architecture, aligning with the vision of Digital India.
He underscored CERT-In’s commitment to issuing timely alerts and tailored advisories to organizations and citizens against emerging threats, ensuring proactive protection without inducing unnecessary panic. Furthermore, Dr. Bahl highlighted India’s rapid emergence as a global cybersecurity hub, powered by over 400 startups and a skilled workforce exceeding 6.5 lakh professionals, fueling a $20 billion cybersecurity industry. He noted that these innovators are developing advanced solutions in threat detection, cyber forensics, and AI-based monitoring systems, strengthening India’s secure and resilient digital ecosystem.
Addressing the evolving threat landscape, Dr. Bahl observed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a double-edged sword, benefiting both defenders and adversaries. He elaborated on how CERT-In leverages AI-driven analytics and automation for real-time detection, prevention, and response to cyber incidents, concurrently developing countermeasures against malicious AI-enabled attacks.
The visiting journalists were briefed on CERT-In’s continuous drills, capacity-building initiatives, and notable international collaborations. These include working with the National Cybersecurity Agency for France (ANSSI) to publish a joint high-level risk analysis report on AI, ‘Building trust in AI through a cyber risk-based approach,’ in collaboration with other national authorities, and conducting joint drills with international partners and global and regional forums in cybersecurity. Dr. Bahl also highlighted CERT-In’s initiatives to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in Indian cooperative banks and safeguard Indian citizens’ digital devices from bots and malware, which were recognized in the Global Cybersecurity Outlook January 2025 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF). He noted that despite India reporting 147 ransomware incidents in 2024, CERT-In’s coordinated actions, including real-time intelligence sharing and forensic interventions, significantly mitigated their impact.
Shri Krishan Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, MeitY, further elaborated on the IndiaAI mission, the AI Impact Summit scheduled for February 2026, policy support for startups developing indigenous cybersecurity solutions, and various national-level initiatives and research and development projects of MeitY.