Home World Sixth India-UK Cyber Dialogue Held in New Delhi

Sixth India-UK Cyber Dialogue Held in New Delhi

On 3 July 2024, India and the United Kingdom (UK) held the sixth Cyber Dialogue in New Delhi, India. Mr. Amit A. Shukla, Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs of India (MEA), co-chaired the meeting with Ms. Kat Jones, Head of Strategy and Engagement, Cyber Policy Department, The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK. The meeting addressed concerns regarding cyber threat assessment, data protection, internet governance, critical infrastructure protection, and cooperation and capacity building in multilateral fora. The discussions also focused on significant developments in the cyber realm in the United Nations.

Officials from the MEA, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), CERT-In and National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), and Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) comprised the Indian delegation. The UK delegation included officials of the National Cyber Security Centre, representatives of the Cyber Policy Team of the British High Commission, and the Cyber Policy Department of the FCDO.

According to the British High Commission in India, Ms. Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, former National Cyber Security Centre, NI Office, and DFID, “met India’s Delegation, led by Joint Secretary Amit Shukla. Both sides discussed the importance of international cyber collaboration and resilience.”

The first Indian-UK Cyber security dialogue between foreign ministries occurred in New Delhi in November 2012. Essential issues of concern included tackling cyber crime, raising mutual resilience, reducing the risk of threats from cyberspace to international security, building skills and capacities, and creating a global multilateral, democratic, and transparent internet governance system. Both nations agreed to establish a Cyber Security Training Centre of Excellence under the UK-India Defence and International Security Partnership in November 2015.

The cyber engagement between the UK and India proliferated following an agreement for a Framework between the two countries in 2018. Annual cyber dialogues and joint working groups are common means of strengthening the relationship between the two. Apart from capacity-building programs, both countries also focus on governance, prosperity, cyber-crime, security, and 5G and data legislation issues.

The India-UK 2030 vision aims for dynamic people-to-people ties and strong defense and security cooperation. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and former British Prime Minister Mr. Boris Johnson agreed to an Enhanced Cyber Security Partnership in May 2021. This significant partnership between the two nations is based on deterrence, cyber governance, resilience, and capacity building.

During the sixth Cyber Dialogue, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation between their respective cyber agencies to build a robust and safe cyberspace.