India and the United States have agreed to step up cooperation on cyber-security through enhanced information sharing in a bid to combat crimes in cyberspace.
A high-powered meeting officials from the two sides discussed here this week a range of cyber issues including cyber threats and management of incidents. A joint statement released after two days of interactions said the officials dealt with cybersecurity cooperation in the context of the Narendra Modi Government’s “Make in India” initiative, efforts to combat cybercrime, Internet governance issues and norms of state behaviour in cyberspace.
The two delegations identified opportunities for increased collaboration on cyber-security capacity-building and intend to pursue a series of follow-on activities to bolster this partnership and achieve concrete outcomes.
The dialogue was led by US Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel and India’s Deputy National Security Adviser Arvind Gupta. Representatives from a host of key departments in the two Governments participated in the dialogue.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, meanwhile, hailed India as “a beacon for the world”. In a message on the eve of India’s 69th Independence Day celebrations, Kerry said: “Since 1947, India has stood as a beacon for the world: as an economic power that prides innovation, as a resilient democracy in the face of terror, and as a strategic power that upholds international norms.”
“As the world’s largest democracies, the United States and India stand side-by-side in defending and promoting the freedoms and values we hold dear,” he said in his message on behalf of President Barack Obama and the people of the United States.