New Delhi: Highlighting the threat of the United States cutting off services for India, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) appealed to the government to launch a Digital Swaraj Mission, with sovereign cloud, indigenous OS (operating system), homegrown cybersecurity, and data-driven AI leadership.
The GTRI highlighted that India’s dependency on US software, social media platforms and cloud services poses a major economic and security threat at a time when the geopolitical tensions are soaring high.
In its report, the think tank warned that the United States is in a solid position to defence systems, disrupt services or access to data, disrupting banking, and governance.
“India’s economy and security are deeply reliant on US software, cloud, and social media platforms, creating a major vulnerability in times of geopolitical tension,” the GTRI said.
GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava gave the example of Europe which is already building sovereign cloud and enforcing the Digital Markets Act to safeguard its interest. China is also playing safe by replacing foreign code in government, defence, and industrial systems with indigenous platforms.
The GTRI cautioned that if US tech companies pull the plug on Windows, Android, or cloud services, India’s entire digital backbone could be crippled.
Srivastava advocated for mandate sovereign cloud hosting for critical data, launching of national OS programme, and pilot Linux transitions in key ministries. In 3-5 years, government systems should fully migrate to Indian software, and public-private cybersecurity consortia should be operational.
“By the long-term (5-7 years), India must achieve cloud parity, replace foreign OS in defence and critical sectors, and create globally competitive open-network platforms,” he noted.
(With inputs from PTI)
