The India–UK Cybersecurity Partnership

The ‘2030 Roadmap for India–UK Future Relations’ was issued on 4 May 2021, following a virtual meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Boris Johnson. It placed cybersecurity within the defence and security paradigm, highlighting critical national infrastructure, malicious cyber activities, cybercrime investigation, capacity-building and emerging technologies as themes for cooperation.[1] The April 2022 India–UK Cyber Statement noted an Enhanced Cyber Security Partnership covering cyber governance, resilience, deterrence and capacity-building, while also fostering cooperation on shared vulnerabilities, critical infrastructure, and secure-by-design connected devices.[2] The 2022 Statement also noted the role of tech firms, telecoms entities and other private stakeholders in enhancing the security of connected systems.

In September 2022, India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and the UK government, in collaboration with BAE Systems, conducted a virtual cybersecurity exercise for 26 countries as part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative-Resilience Working Group.[3] The exercise used a scenario in which ransomware impacted several electricity distribution firms, aiming to evaluate national readiness to respond to a major ransomware event affecting critical national infrastructure.

The 2024 Technology Security Initiative (TSI), coordinated by the National Security Advisers of India and the UK, broadened cooperation across telecommunications, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, critical minerals, health and biotechnology, advanced materials and semiconductors.[4] The UK government has described the programme as a new approach for collaboration on the pivotal technologies of the decade, fostering alliances among governments, academia and industry.[5] Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a meeting with Foreign Secretary David Lammy in June 2025, expressed support for the continued cooperation between India and the UK under the Technology Security Initiative.[6]

The TSI’s Future Telecoms Partnership has identified telecom security and Open RAN as key areas for bilateral cooperation. It also supports a partnership between India’s Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), DoT’s Telecoms Startup Mission and the UK’s SONIC Labs to strengthen telecom network security, resilience and performance, including via collaboration on Open RAN, testing and the development of products and solutions.[7] In February 2025, the Department of Telecommunications held discussions with the UK’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on 5G, 6G and digital infrastructure security, while C-DOT and SONIC Labs signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Open RAN-related policy and technical matters.[8] The emphasis on Open RAN and testing is important as the TSI’s Future Telecoms Partnership connects these areas to the development of disaggregated network technologies and products.

The India–UK Vision 2035, endorsed by the Prime Ministers of India and the UK on 24 July 2025 during their meeting in London, linked cyber resilience to protecting citizens and key services, as well as to the secure development of emerging technologies.[9] In October 2025, India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the UK’s DSIT unveiled the Connectivity and Innovation Centre, a joint initiative with an initial commitment of £24 million over four years. The Centre aims to connect academic research with laboratory testing, field trials and eventual market deployment, while facilitating joint testbeds and collaboration on technical standards.[10] The associated outcome document highlights AI-native 6G networks, non-terrestrial networks and cybersecurity for telecommunications as its key domains.[11] The Centre provides a stated pathway from research to deployment. The 2025 TSI anniversary statement documented a £7 million joint Future Telecoms research programme supporting Open RAN and 5G/6G testbed development, alongside enhanced collaboration on secure-by-design telecoms and cyber resilience.[12]

The agenda’s scope has continued to expand. In February 2026, India’s Ministry of Communications held discussions with the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Online Safety on cooperation on AI applications for telecom networks, including AI-driven cybersecurity and autonomous network management, as well as broader cooperation on Open RAN and 6G. The discussions also covered joint research, pilot deployments and coordinated engagement in global standardisation forums such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).[13] Discussions also covered cooperation on quantum communications and secure networks.  These developments indicate collaboration through research, testing and standardisation, as well as intergovernmental dialogue.

The India–UK Science and Technology partnership brings together government entities, higher education institutions, research organisations, start-ups and industry, with cooperation extending across telecommunications research, advanced materials and quantum technologies.[14]  This expands the technology-security partnership’s institutional domain and brings in actors beyond national security and foreign policy institutions. The July 2025 TSI anniversary statement also highlighted several new private sector partnerships, including in telecoms, critical minerals, advanced materials and AI.  It also called on start-ups and academia to further catalyse the partnership.

The TSI specifically seeks to deepen relationships across the technology value chain and enhance cooperation among governments, technology and research institutions, industry and academia.  The Connectivity and Innovation Centre provides a practical platform that facilitates collaboration on applied research, testing and standards. It can help bring together local implementation expertise and research capabilities with access to broader global technology and standards frameworks. The two nations have also indicated their intention to work through international fora, such as the ITU and 3GPP, on 6G. This links bilateral technology collaboration to broader international standardisation initiatives.

Bilateral engagement with the UK on these initiatives can help advance interoperable future networks. However, standards collaboration is only one part of the broader regulatory and implementation framework. The TSI framework also supports discussions regarding policies and regulations about telecommunications security, equipment, spectrum and standards. The partnership creates opportunities for research, testing and pilot activities before deploying these technologies at scale. The focus on secure-by-design telecommunications and collaborative testing is especially pertinent to 5G and 6G, where the security of network architecture, software and systems must be considered alongside technical performance.

The main constraints, though, are practical and institutional. The TSI framework emphasises the importance of policy and regulatory discussions about telecommunications security, standards, equipment and spectrum. The 2025 CII-techUK assessment identifies divergent regulatory frameworks, incompatible testing standards, procurement barriers and fragmented industry ecosystems as challenges to enhanced telecommunications collaboration.[15] These challenges can make it difficult for vendors, operators and regulators in both nations to pool expertise, share testbeds, and collaboratively develop next-generation telecommunications products and services. The report also highlights challenges related to data transfer, privacy and secure data sharing, which can hinder cooperation on the development, testing and deployment of technologies across the two regulatory frameworks.[16] The same assessment recommends a research and development roadmap, stronger collaboration between innovative Indian and British technology companies, and mechanisms for tracking progress to deepen the operationalisation of the TSI.[17]

The India–UK bilateral framework currently links foreign policy and security entities with telecom regulators, research institutions and industry. The extent to which these actors can create effective testing frameworks, cooperate on standards, and facilitate pathways from collaborative research to implementation will determine how far the technology-security agenda can advance. The trajectory of the India–UK cyber partnership indicates a progressive shift from cyber dialogue to advancing technological security. The partnership can combine India’s technological scale with Britain’s research capabilities while embedding security into emerging systems.

Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the Government of India.

[1] “2030 Roadmap for India–UK Future Relations”, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Government, 4 May 2021.

[2] “India-United Kingdom Cyber Statement”, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, 22 April 2022.

[3] “India & UK Conducts Counter Ransomware Exercise for 26 Nations”, Press Information Bureau, National Security Council Secretariat, Government of India, 6 September 2022.

[4] “UK-India Technology Security Initiative: Factsheet”, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Government, 25 July 2024.

[5] “Foreign Secretary Meets Indian Prime Minister Modi and Launches Landmark Technology Security Initiative”, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Government, 24 July 2024.

[6] “Rt Hon David Lammy, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom calls on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi”, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, 7 June 2025.

[7] “UK-India Technology Security Initiative: Factsheet”, no. 4.

[8] “India Expands Collaboration with UK in Key Areas of Telecom, AI, and Emerging Technologies”, Press information Bureau, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, 21 February 2025.

[9] “India-UK Vision 2035”, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Government, 24 July 2025.

[10] “India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre”, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, UK Government, 10 October 2025.

[11] “India-UK Joint Statement: 9 October 2025”, Prime Minister’s Office, UK Government, 9 October 2025.

[12] “UK-India Technology Security Initiative- Anniversary Statement”, UK Government, 24 July 2025.

[13] “India-UK Strengthen AI and Telecom Partnership”, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, 18 February 2026; 3GPP is a collaboration of telecoms standards-development entities that creates and maintains technical reports and specifications for mobile communication systems.

[14] “Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Holds Bilateral Meeting with UK Minister for AI & Online Safety, Mr Kanishka Narayan on the sidelines of Ongoing India AI Impact Summit”, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, 20 February 2026.

[15] “Securing the Future: Deepening UK-India Technology Security Cooperation”, techUK and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), July 2025, p. 8.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid., pp. 4, 6–7.