NextFin news, New Delhi, Sunday – The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) issued a report on Sunday highlighting India's economic vulnerability stemming from its heavy reliance on US software, cloud services, and social media platforms. The think tank cautioned that this dependence could disrupt critical sectors such as banking, governance, and defense in the event of geopolitical tensions.
The GTRI report emphasized that Indian digital infrastructure, including phones, computers, and government applications, largely operates on US systems. It warned that a potential US-ordered cutoff of these services could paralyze digital payments, tax filings, and government services nationwide, posing a significant risk to India's economy and national security.
To address these risks, the GTRI proposed a "Digital Swaraj Mission" aimed at achieving self-reliance in operating systems, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence by 2030. The initiative includes phased steps such as launching a national operating system program, establishing sovereign cloud hosting for critical data, and piloting Linux transitions in key government ministries within the next two years.
The report further recommended that within three to five years, government systems should fully migrate to Indian software, and public-private cybersecurity consortia should be operational. In the longer term, India should aim for cloud parity, replace foreign operating systems in defense and critical sectors, and develop globally competitive open-network platforms.
Additionally, the GTRI highlighted the strategic importance of India's data, urging the government to treat it as a critical resource akin to oil or rare earth minerals. It suggested enforcing local data storage, taxing digital transactions, and fostering an indigenous AI ecosystem to leverage data as a bargaining tool in trade and security negotiations.
The report was released in New Delhi on Sunday, September 14, 2025, reflecting growing concerns over India's technological dependence on the US amid evolving global geopolitical dynamics.
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