Government officials and industry leaders gathered in New Delhi to address India’s escalating cyber security challenges, with authorities warning of a massive skills shortage as the country faces mounting digital threats. The urgent discussions came as data resilience company Veeam unveiled its comprehensive national initiative to train 100,000 cyber security professionals.
National Emergency Declared Over Skills Gap
Government representatives painted a stark picture of India’s cyber security landscape. Despite training 500,000 individuals and placing over 3,300 youth in cyber security jobs, officials warned this represents just a fraction of what’s needed.
“We are running short of millions of skills in this hyperspace and the attack surface is growing,” said a senior government official. “This is going to multiply 100 times in the coming months and years. We will be standing empty-handed if we do not act now.”
Veeam’s Ambitious National Response
Veeam Software announced its “Bharat CyberSuraksha – Saksham Bharat” initiative, a three-year commitment targeting massive scale training across India. The company, which positions itself as the world’s leading data resilience provider, outlined plans to:
- Train over 100,000 professionals in data protection and ransomware recovery
- Establish 100+ Centers of Excellence with academic and industry partners
- Create 25,000+ jobs in cybersecurity and DevSecOps domains nationwide
- Build AI-enabled security capabilities across sectors
The initiative follows Veeam’s release of India-specific research showing that 70% of ransomware-hit organizations face multiple attacks within 12 months, with 90% seeing attempts to compromise their backup systems.
“We are the world’s number one company in data resilience. Our mission is to make sure that we protect every bit of data to make Bharat cyber secure,” said Sandeep Bhambure, Vice President & Managing Director, India & South Asia, Veeam Software. “India is the second most attacked nation in the world. Every year, we lose 24,000 crore rupees due to cyber attacks. With this initiative, we are attempting to create a very large pool of resources who will help protect the digital economy.”
Critical Infrastructure Under Siege
Military and energy sector representatives highlighted the strategic importance of cyber security. The Indian Army conducts regular cyber audits of all establishments and operates specialized cyber security and AI laboratories for training personnel.
Gas Authority of India Limited has launched “AI Tarang,” upskilling all employees in AI knowledge while expanding training to other energy companies. The oil and gas sector, deemed strategically critical, is prioritizing data security given its national importance.
Economic Impact Reaches Billions
Industry data reveals India’s position as the world’s second-most attacked nation, with recorded losses of 240 billion rupees annually to cyber attacks. Veeam officials noted that neighboring countries deploy “tens of thousands” of cyber warfare specialists specifically targeting Indian government, corporate, and personal data.
Bhambure emphasized the scale of the challenge: “Some of our unfriendly neighbors have tens of thousands of people who are cyber security experts in hacking, whose mission is just to attack India. They are going after the country’s important data assets, the largest Indian corporates, and your and my data.”
Multi-Sector Training Push
The National Skill Development Corporation emphasized the distinction between education and employability, noting that “skills make workers indispensable.” Key government programs include Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana for future skills and Vishwa Karma Scheme for traditional craftspeople.
Police officials stressed that cyber security requires prevention, awareness, and crucially, investigation capabilities. A former CBI Special Director noted extremely low recovery rates from cyber crimes, highlighting the need for enhanced investigative training.
Path to Digital Sovereignty
The coordinated response reflects India’s broader vision of digital sovereignty, with Veeam promoting what it calls “sovereign cloud” infrastructure – sovereign in data, operations, and technology. The company is working directly with the Ministry of Education to establish AI-based laboratories in universities while training students for employment opportunities.
As India targets becoming a developed nation by 2047, participants emphasized that cyber security skills development has become essential for both national security and economic growth in an increasingly digital economy.
