AMCHAM’s Cyber Security Committee convened its quarterly meeting on May 23rd virtually under the leadership of Mr. Vishak Raman, Chairman – Cyber Security Committee, AMCHAM and Vice President of Sales, India, SAARC, SEA, and ANZ, Fortinet. The meeting featured updates on committee activities, a detailed presentation on the cyber security threat landscape, and strategic discussions to strengthen U.S.-India cyber security collaboration. Mr. Pranav Mishra, Director, AMCHAM highlighted key achievements since January 2025, including two major cyber security conferences in New Delhi, developed with the National Security Council Secretariat (NCSC), focused on critical infrastructure protection. A white paper on U.S.-India cyber security framework was launched, emphasizing collaborative digital security efforts. The conferences addressed BFSI digital threats, critical infrastructure security, AI in cybersecurity, and security-by-design principles for semiconductors. A notable roundtable with Dr. Abhijit Phukon, Economic Adviser and CISO, Department of Financial Services, on May 22, 2025, discussed undersea cables, data centers, and connectivity infrastructure security. Future plans include two additional conferences to produce a white paper showcasing U.S. companies’ contributions to India’s cyber security ecosystem.

Mr. Vishak Raman presented an analysis of cyber threats observed during the first five days of Operation Sindoor. Telecom and technology sectors faced 21% of attacks, followed by BFSI and manufacturing. A concerning rise in attacks on research and education sectors were noted. Geopolitical tensions drove increased activity by state-linked actors and hacktivists targeting defense, finance, healthcare, and research. Trends included sophisticated ransomware, DDoS attacks, and database breaches. Mitigation strategies emphasized robust authentication, advanced threat detection, employee training, and AI-driven defenses.

Industry leaders advocated for focused roundtables with government PSUs and critical sectors for impactful outcomes. They called for a centralized government body for real-time crisis response and enhanced threat intelligence sharing with CERT-In. Regulatory fragmentation was a key concern, with proposals for harmonization aligned with global best practices. Discussions highlighted board-level cyber resilience, proactive government-industry information sharing, and public education on financial fraud prevention to address compliance with emerging data protection regulations. The committee decided to develop a focused roundtable strategy, establish board-level cyber resilience training, and create structured threat intelligence sharing with CERT-In and NCSC. A proposal for government departments will highlight AMCHAM’s contributions and regulatory harmonization recommendations. The next conference is scheduled for July 31st, 2025, to further U.S.-India collaboration on critical cyber security challenges and regulatory framework.