Need tech-savvy forces to protect India’s digital world: FM Sitharaman

India must develop tech-savvy forces to preserve its digital world, which is a stimulus for economic progress, at a time when technology, if abused by entrenched interests, may endanger the country’s financial services and national security, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.

Speaking at the fourth convocation ceremony of Rashtriya Raksha University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Sitharaman said, “At this juncture, it is important for us to recognize new challenges which are facing the country’s security, and not just at the borders. Today, technology doesn’t wait to recognize borders. Technology, as much as it’s available for us to increase productivity, is also being misused by some vested interests or dark forces.”

The finance minister stated that the country’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which has become an enabler in people’s lives, is also under threat, including banks, stock exchanges, payment institutions, and platforms that handle online marketing or taxi services.

Sitharaman noted that India was growing in the eyes of its competitors and others who find such growth astonishing. “There can be many well-wishers. There are also people who think this should not be entertained and who can challenge us,” she said.

 She added that many in the developed world do not have the digital prowess that India has achieved over the last decade. “As much as you need physical forces to take care of our borders, we also need forces within the country who are tech-savvy and conscious of the threats before us,” Sitharaman said.

 Sitharaman highlighted that India, once the second-largest arms importer between 2015–19, has now become a net exporter and is among the top 25 arms exporters. In value terms, she said India had reached a record high of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in defence production in 2023–24, a 2.7-fold increase over 2014–15. “Defence exports also surged to an all-time high, reaching Rs 21,083 crore in 2023–24 from Rs 686 crore in 2013–14. There has been a 30-fold increase in defence exports,” she added.