{"id":48387,"date":"2025-07-17T18:58:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T13:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=48387"},"modified":"2025-08-02T12:40:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T07:10:51","slug":"protecting-digital-infrastructure-maritime-interests-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/17-07-2025\/protecting-digital-infrastructure-maritime-interests-india","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Digital Infrastructure and Maritime Interests: India\u2019s Sovereign Imperative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Infrastructure; Cyber Security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As the world leans heavily into data-driven economies, India needs to safeguard its digital infrastructure and maritime interests as both a sovereign imperative and a technical necessity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Overview of Undersea Cables<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Submarine cables are the silent arteries of the digital world, carrying over <strong>99% of global internet traffic <\/strong>through these fiber-optic cables, supporting an <strong>estimated $10 trillion<\/strong> in financial transactions daily.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These submarine cables are strategic assets essential for economic growth, national security, and geopolitical influence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>575+ active cable systems span the globe, covering over 1.4 million kilometers of ocean floor. (2024 Data).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR):<\/strong> 5.6% (2025\u201330)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Asia-Pacific Market Share:<\/strong> 38.6% (largest regional market).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ownership &amp; Infrastructure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>United States: <\/strong>Big Tech like Google owns 10,433 miles of cables directly and 63,605 miles in consortium. Facebook: 57,709 miles, Amazon: 18,987 miles, Microsoft: 4,104 miles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>China: Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)<\/strong> to control global digital routes; <strong>China\u2019s Digital Silk Road<\/strong> includes new systems like the <strong>Europe\u2013Middle East\u2013Asia<\/strong> cable.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Chinese state-linked firms like <strong>China Telecom, China Unicom, and Huawei Marine<\/strong> are expanding aggressively across Asia, Africa, and Europe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India:<\/strong> India has <strong>only 14 Cable Landing Stations (CLSs)<\/strong> compared to <strong>1,636 globally.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It hosts 17 international subsea cables across 17 landing stations, with activation of new systems in 2025 <strong>expected to quadruple data transmission capacity<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns &amp; Challenges: Current Gaps in India\u2019s Maritime &amp; Cyber Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Dependency:<\/strong> India\u2019s undersea cable landscape is largely shaped by <strong>private players<\/strong>, expanding rapidly but unevenly.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Critical chokepoints like the <strong>Luzon Strait<\/strong> and <strong>Malacca Strait<\/strong> pose enormous risks in times of crisis or conflict.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India&#8217;s <strong>dependency on foreign vessels<\/strong> for cable laying and repairs exposes serious vulnerabilities in times of sabotage or war.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vulnerabilities &amp; Disruptions:<\/strong> Nearly 200 faults per year occur on average across global subsea cable systems.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India suffers 8\u20139 cable cuts annually, with repair costs reaching \u20b915\u201320 crore per incident.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India <strong>lacks its own flagged cable repair vessel <\/strong>(China has four to six cable repair vessels)<strong> <\/strong>and relies on foreign providers, causing 10\u201312 day delays in response time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increasing Vulnerabilities:<\/strong> As geopolitical tensions rise, these cables become potential targets for<strong> espionage, sabotage, or disruption.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Countries like <strong>China and Russia<\/strong> have shown strategic interest in cable networks, raising concerns over physical and cyber vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subsea Cables as Strategic Assets:<\/strong> India&#8217;s internet connectivity relies on cables that land at hubs like Mumbai and Chennai.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These cables, though mostly foreign-owned, handle enormous volumes of sensitive data \u2014 including government communications, financial transactions, and military logistics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Legal Vacuum: <\/strong>USA impose strict laws on submarine cable operations in their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), however, international waters remain largely <strong>lawless<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-10-2021\/united-nations-convention-for-the-law-of-the-sea-unclos\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-10-2021\/united-nations-convention-for-the-law-of-the-sea-unclos\">United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)<\/a><\/strong> only requires states to penalize cable damage by their flagged vessels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enforcement relies on flag states<\/strong>\u2014a major loophole, especially when state-sponsored actors are involved.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>International bodies like the <strong>ITU<\/strong> and <strong>ICPC<\/strong> offer only advisory guidelines and best practices, lacking real regulatory teeth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"bbbec3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"483\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Current-Gaps-in-Indias-Maritime-Cyber-Strategy-483x1024.png\" alt=\"digital infrastructure\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-48390\" style=\"--dominant-color: #bbbec3; width:277px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Current-Gaps-in-Indias-Maritime-Cyber-Strategy-483x1024.png 483w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Current-Gaps-in-Indias-Maritime-Cyber-Strategy-141x300.png 141w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Current-Gaps-in-Indias-Maritime-Cyber-Strategy-768x1630.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Current-Gaps-in-Indias-Maritime-Cyber-Strategy-724x1536.png 724w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Current-Gaps-in-Indias-Maritime-Cyber-Strategy.png 884w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 483px) 100vw, 483px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: Strategic and Legal Overhaul<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Expand Domestic Capabilities: Public sector shipyards<\/strong> should build India\u2019s own cable repair fleet.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Invest in <strong>tamper-proof design<\/strong>, deeper burial, and <strong>advanced encryption<\/strong> of cables.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>TRAI <\/strong>recommends a 10x expansion in India\u2019s subsea cable infrastructure to meet rising demand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthen Legal Framework: <\/strong>Amend laws to <strong>regulate all cable activities<\/strong> in India\u2019s EEZ.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Formally designate<\/strong> cables as <strong>Critical Information Infrastructure<\/strong> under the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enhance Monitoring and Defence: <\/strong>Use <strong>space and naval assets<\/strong> to track suspect vessels in the Indian Ocean.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accelerate development of underwater <strong>sensors, drones<\/strong>, and <strong>cable monitoring systems<\/strong> through the <strong>iDEX initiative<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build Strategic Redundancies: <\/strong>Develop <strong>redundant routes<\/strong> and new cable corridors.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cooperate with <strong>friendly navies<\/strong>\u2014especially the <strong>QUAD (India, Japan, Australia, US)<\/strong>\u2014for joint patrols and infrastructure protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Establish a National Framework: <\/strong>Create a <strong>National Submarine Cable Security Framework<\/strong>, led by the National Security Council Secretariat, involving the Navy, Coast Guard, and private operators.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Cable Surveillance Program: <\/strong>Deploying autonomous underwater vehicles and satellite systems to track cable health and movement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maritime Cyber Command:<\/strong> Creating a specialized unit that bridges defense, cyber, and telecom agencies for cohesive threat response.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Submarine cables are no longer invisible infrastructure\u2014they are <strong>the digital backbone of sovereignty and power<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As geopolitical rivalries sharpen, India must recognize the strategic urgency of securing its undersea lifelines. Protecting them is not just about internet continuity \u2014 <strong>it\u2019s about national survival<\/strong> in a hyper-connected world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Discuss the strategic significance of submarine cables in the context of global geopolitics, with a focus on India\u2019s vulnerabilities and policy imperatives.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/opinion\/columns\/india-must-develop-own-maritime-security-to-protect-digital-lifelines-125070901450_1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: BS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-17-July-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the world leans heavily into data-driven economies, India needs to safeguard its digital infrastructure and maritime interests as both a sovereign imperative and a technical necessity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48387"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50181,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48387\/revisions\/50181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}