India committed to strong cybersecurity frameworks, data protection across borders: MoS Telecom

New Delhi: India is committed to collaboration on establishing strong cybersecurity frameworks, sharing best practices and protection of data across borders, Minister of State for Telecom Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said on Monday.

While speaking at the ITU's World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) in Baku, Pemmasani said that India has introduced several measures to fight against online crime which has led to disconnection of over 30 million fraudulent connections and prevented 6.6 million fraudulent transactions.

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"In an interconnected world where cybersecurity is paramount, India is committed to collaborating on establishing strong cybersecurity frameworks, sharing best practices, and ensuring the protection of data across borders," the minister said.

He said India is fully committed to joining streams with ITU member states to build a digital ecosystem that empowers people, protects our planet, and ensures no nation is left behind.

UN body International Telecommunications Union (ITU) helps in finalizing international norms required for working of communication technologies across the globe in a reliable and trusted manner.

India was one of the founding members of ITU in 1869.

Pemmasani said India launched Sanchar Saathi platform in 2023 which enables citizens to track mobile connections, block lost devices, report fraud communications, and verify device authenticity.

He said that the country rolled out a new technology "Financial Fraud Risk Indicator" this year which classifies mobile numbers based on fraud risk and provides real-time alerts to banks and UPI platforms.

"Together, these initiatives have led to disconnection of over 30 million fraudulent connections, preventing 6.6 million fraudulent transactions," Pemmasani said.

He said that as an active ITU member since 1869, India is committed to building infrastructure that drives innovation while remaining environmentally conscious and socially inclusive. The minister said that India has over 1.2 billion telecom subscribers, a billion internet users, and 1.4 billion biometric digital identities.

"India has invested over USD 4.8 billion to bring 4G to the last remaining villages, reaching 99 percent of our population. Building on this, we achieved the world's largest and fastest 5G rollout, now covering 99 percent of our districts. Submarine OFC projects have been rolled out to connect remote islands, providing models for regional replication," he said.

The minister said that India has one of the lowest data rates in the world at 8 cents per GB and one of the highest data consumption per capita at 28 GB per month.

"Today, India drives over 46 percent of global digital transactions, a testament to a digital transformation that has deepened financial inclusion across the country. Our USD 18 billion mission is the worldâs largest rural broadband project. It is already connecting 218,000 villages with gigabit fibre, turning the digital divide into a digital bridge," Pemmasani said..

He said the country's National Broadband Mission 2.0 embeds sustainability at its core, targeting 30 percent of mobile towers to be powered by renewable energy by 2030.

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