Risky Bulletin Between Three Nerds: India, the sleeping cyber superpower
Oct 20, 2025
Joe Devanny, a senior lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London, shares insights on India's unique position in the cyber world. He discusses India's impressive private-sector cyber capabilities but notes its lack of ambition in projecting power globally. The conversation dives into how regional threats from Pakistan and China have shaped India's cyber strategy. Devanny also contrasts India's opaque security culture with the transparency of the West, shedding light on the complexities of India's latent cyber potential.
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Latent Cyber Power From IT Talent
- India has large latent cyber power rooted in its private IT services and talent pool.
- That potential makes India poised to be a rising cyber actor if mobilized strategically.
Defensive Focus Over Global Projection
- India focuses cyber efforts on improving its domestic security posture rather than global projection.
- Its aim is to address immediate regional threats rather than to project cyber power worldwide.
Origins In India–Pakistan Security Dynamic
- India's cyber build-up began as a response to perceived shortfalls against Pakistan.
- Institutional actors emerged over decades to address that regional threat and defensive gaps.