India and the United States are gearing up for a significant conversation on homeland security, scheduled for Wednesday. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and his American counterpart Kristie Canogello, on 28 February will lead the discussions in the national capital, covering various vital topics
The talks will touch upon cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, cybersecurity measures, addressing concerns regarding Sikh radicals, enhancing aviation security, and ensuring the safety of global supply chains, among other issues.
This dialogue presents an opportunity for India to voice concerns about the misuse of digital platforms by terrorist groups for radicalisation, recruitment, and illegal financing. Officials from India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will explore avenues for collaboration with their counterparts from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
India will highlight the challenges posed by cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure such as banking systems, railways, power grids, energy facilities, and healthcare institutions. Notably, there have been instances of cyber breaches originating from countries like China, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, affecting government-operated institutions like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
A senior official has expressed concerns about data sovereignty, citing instances of misuse of Indian data by Chinese lending apps and online investment fraud. This dialogue offers a platform for India to address these issues with the US, reinforcing bilateral cooperation in combating cyber threats and terrorism.
Previous discussions between National Investigation Agency Director General Dinkar Gupta and FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighted the connection between terrorist organisations and organised criminal syndicates. Gupta also mentioned ongoing US authorities’ investigations into the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by Pro-Khalistan groups.
