Cybersecurity is an economic imperative for the government: IT Secretary N. Manjula

Cybersecurity has become an economic imperative and governance priority as digital technologies become deeply embedded in everyday life, said N. Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT and BT, Government of Karnataka, here on Wednesday.

“Cybersecurity is no longer exclusively a technology issue. It is an economic imperative, a governance priority and a fundamental requirement for building trust in the digital future,’’ she said, while speaking at a Cyber Dialogue, jointly organised by the State government and Consulate General of Israel in the city.

Cyber Dialogue was held to help start-ups and cybersecurity experts to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration in cybersecurity innovation, talent development, research, technology and digital resilience. Held under the theme “Stronger Together. Secure Tomorrow,” the dialogue was organised as part of Karnataka’s ongoing international technology partnerships under its Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), in collaboration with the Consulate General and Trade Mission of Israel in South India and the Centre for Cybersecurity Karnataka (CySecK).

The dialogue brought together senior officials from the Government of Karnataka and the Israeli delegation, along with representatives from the cybersecurity, technology and start-up ecosystems. A delegation of 10 Israeli cybersecurity companies participated in the programme, with the engagement extending beyond the roundtable to technology demonstrations and B2B meetings aimed at identifying opportunities for practical partnerships.

The discussions focused on four key areas: Innovation and Start-ups, Industry Partnership, Talent & Skills, and Policy & Trust, with an emphasis on translating knowledge exchange into practical collaboration and strengthening the resilience of critical digital infrastructure, businesses and public institutions.

Dr. Manjula highlighted Karnataka’s Global Innovation Alliance, through which the Government engages with countries on areas of shared interest and builds partnerships across technology and innovation sectors. She further said the Karnataka-Israel cybersecurity engagement represented an opportunity to build on these international partnerships and explore collaboration across cybersecurity innovation, start-up partnerships, talent development, research, technology validation and critical infrastructure protection.

Orli Weitzman, Consul General of Israel to South India, said the Karnataka-Israel engagement reflected the growing India-Israel partnership and the natural alignment between the two ecosystems.

“India and Israel share a culture of problem-solving, with a strong emphasis on education, entrepreneurship and innovation. Cybersecurity is one of the clearest areas where our two ecosystems can work together,’’ she said, adding that when Israeli technology and experience meet India’s extraordinary talent, scale and technological capabilities, the potential impact goes far beyond our two countries.