• Source:JND
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India’s heavy dependence on US-made software, cloud services, and social media platforms could cripple the nation’s economy and security during geopolitical tensions, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has warned.

“India’s economy and security are deeply reliant on US software, cloud, and social media platforms, creating a major vulnerability in times of geopolitical tension,” GTRI said in a report released on Sunday.

Risks of Foreign Dependence

According to GTRI co-founder Ajay Srivastava, Washington has the capability to cut off access to cloud services, operating systems, and critical data pipelines, potentially disrupting banking, governance, defence systems, and public discourse.

Key concerns include:

- Operating systems: Over 500 million Indian smartphones run on Google’s Android OS, making the nation’s communications infrastructure dependent on US decisions.

- Cloud services: India’s critical data is hosted on foreign servers, largely controlled by US tech giants.

- Social media platforms: Discourse and narrative-building remain vulnerable to foreign moderation and influence.

Srivastava noted that Europe is already building sovereign cloud infrastructure under its Digital Markets Act, while China has replaced foreign code across government, defence, and industrial ecosystems.

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The Digital Swaraj Mission

To counter these risks, GTRI has proposed a Digital Swaraj Mission built on four pillars:

1. Sovereign Cloud hosting critical data within India.

2. Indigenous OS development to reduce reliance on Windows and Android.

3. Homegrown Cybersecurity frameworks to protect national infrastructure.

4. Data-driven AI leadership with open-network platforms competitive at a global scale.

Suggested Timeline

The think tank recommends a phased rollout: 

1. Short Term (1–2 years):

- Mandate sovereign cloud hosting for sensitive government data.

- Launch a National OS Programme.

- Pilot Linux transitions in key ministries.

2. Medium Term (3–5 years):

- Full migration of government systems to Indian software.

- Establish public-private cybersecurity consortia.

3. Long Term (5–7 years):

- Achieve cloud parity with global providers.

- Replace foreign OS in defence and critical infrastructure.

- Build globally competitive open-network platforms.

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Why It Matters

GTRI’s warning highlights the strategic vulnerabilities of digital dependence at a time when global technology is increasingly weaponised in trade wars and geopolitical conflicts.

The report suggests that unless India builds its own secure, sovereign digital backbone, its economic and national security could be at risk of being “crippled overnight.”