Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah announced a major new initiative to enhance India’s cybersecurity. Over the next five years, the Centre plans to train 5,000 ‘Cyber Commandos’ to tackle the increasing threat of cybercrime. This announcement was made during the first foundation day of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), where Shah also launched the ‘Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre’ (CFMC).
Shah highlighted the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to address the borderless nature of cybercrime, stating, “The country’s progress is not possible without cybersecurity.” The new ‘Cyber Commandos’ program will create a specialized unit across States and Union Territories, with Central Police Organizations (CPOs) tasked with handling internal cybersecurity threats. These trained commandos will assist State/UT authorities and central agencies in safeguarding digital spaces, aligning with the Centre’s vision of a ‘Cyber Secure Bharat.’
The I4C, established on October 5, 2018, serves as a national-level coordination hub for addressing cybercrime and became an attached office under the Ministry of Home Affairs in July 2024. In 2023, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting Management System (CFCFMS) reported 1,128,256 cybercrime incidents. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 197,547 complaints, while Maharashtra faced the highest financial fraud totaling US$ 117.9 million (Rs. 9.9 billion).
