Govt Weighs New Cyber Framework as Airtel Unveils AI Threat Research Centre
•February 20, 2026
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Why It Matters
A robust legal regime and dedicated research hub will strengthen India’s digital sovereignty and protect critical infrastructure from evolving AI‑powered cyber risks.
Key Takeaways
- •India explores new cybersecurity legal framework
- •Airtel and Zscaler launch AI Threat Research Centre
- •Centre will leverage Airtel network for threat detection
- •Focus on AI‑driven defenses and talent pipeline
- •Zscaler reports 1.2 million intrusion attempts monthly
Pulse Analysis
India’s push for a dedicated cybersecurity legal framework reflects growing concerns that traditional regulations cannot keep pace with AI‑enhanced attacks. By codifying responsibilities for AI‑generated threats, the government aims to create clearer liability pathways and encourage private‑sector investment in resilient architectures. This move aligns with global trends where nations are redefining cyber law to address deep‑learning‑based malware, automated phishing, and weaponized bots, positioning India as a potential leader in regulatory innovation.
The AI & Cyber Threat Research Centre, a partnership between Airtel and Zscaler, brings together massive network visibility and cloud‑scale threat intelligence. Airtel’s nationwide infrastructure provides real‑time telemetry on IoT and mobile traffic, while Zscaler contributes analytics from billions of daily transactions. Together they can identify anomalous patterns faster, share actionable intelligence with government agencies, and develop AI‑driven defence tools tailored to India’s unique threat landscape. This collaboration also serves as a testbed for emerging security frameworks that integrate machine‑learning models with human expertise.
Beyond immediate protection, the initiative targets long‑term capability building. By fostering a pipeline of cybersecurity talent and establishing a taxonomy for AI incidents, the centre supports India’s broader digital sovereignty agenda. The reported 1.2 million intrusion attempts across 58 entities underscore the urgency for coordinated, AI‑enabled response mechanisms. As enterprises and public bodies adopt these advanced safeguards, the overall resilience of the Indian digital economy is expected to improve, attracting further foreign investment and reinforcing trust in the nation’s tech ecosystem.
Govt weighs new cyber framework as Airtel unveils AI Threat Research Centre
India considers a new legal framework for cybersecurity amid rising AI‑driven threats
In a move that signals India’s shift from reactive cybersecurity to proactive cyber defence, the government on Friday said it is considering a new legal framework for cybersecurity amid increasing cyber threats using artificial intelligence.
“With AI becoming the norm, the nature of cyber threats is going to totally change…We also have to create a new legal framework for cybersecurity with all these challenges that we are facing today,” Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters at the launch of the AI & Cyber Threat Research Center at the India AI summit in New Delhi.
Telecom operator Bharti Airtel and US‑based cloud security company Zscaler launched the research centre to advance national cyber resilience, protecting sectors, industries and assets that are essential to India’s economic and national security. The AI and Cybersecurity centre will also partner with government agencies to neutralize and prevent cyber‑attacks. It will drive the adoption of modern security frameworks, with a specific focus on AI‑driven defences.
Another focus will be to strengthen the cybersecurity talent pipeline.
While Vaishnaw did not share details, he urged IT companies and telecom operators to seriously consider new ways to counter cyber threats and to align with the government.
“I am sure more and more people will join. We have already received interest from many other enterprises in the country. It will be more like a lot of give back in the area of philanthropy or CSR that we do from our (Airtel) side in terms of the investment that is required in infrastructure,” Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told reporters.
Mittal added that Airtel’s contribution to the initiative would be granting the research centre access to its vast network infrastructure and connected nodes across India. The same will be used to detect and respond to incoming threats, he said.
Data‑driven sovereignty
As part of the initiative, Zscaler will deploy a specialized threat research team focused on India. Airtel will contribute deep visibility into IoT and mobile traffic, collaborating with Zscaler to monitor networks and develop new solutions, enabling faster identification of suspicious activity and more effective coordination with ecosystem stakeholders.
Experts said the launch of the centre and discussions on a new legal framework for cybersecurity align with India’s broader ambitions for digital sovereignty and the adoption of trusted AI, but there is a need to first understand AI incidents and protect enterprises and citizens from them.
“We need significant and diversified investment in research on all aspects of AI threats that may emerge. There is a need to clearly understand and prepare a taxonomy of AI incidents, reporting them, and protecting against the same,” said Dhruv Garg, partner at the Indian Governance and Policy Project (IGAP).
According to Garg, a lot of context is needed around AI for security, security for AI, and secured AI systems to develop and operate safe systems and to establish a regulatory framework. This context must exist at all levels—individual, enterprise, sectoral and national.
According to Zscaler’s research arm, ThreatLabz India, millions of infiltration attempts each month, including notable campaigns, have been observed. It has witnessed a nation‑state cyber‑espionage activity using the theme of regional geopolitical tension, which attempted to target multiple Indian entities. Further, there has been a surge in attempts to infiltrate India’s private and public sectors, with 1.2 million intrusion attempts originating from 20,000 sources targeting 58 Indian digital entities, according to the research.
“With the AI & Cyber Threat Research Center – India, we will bring the full power of the world’s largest security cloud to protect the nation’s public and private sectors,” said Jay Chaudhry, CEO, chairman, and founder of Zscaler. “By combining actionable intelligence from over 500 billion daily transactions with local expertise, we aren't just building readiness; we are empowering a new generation of defenders to stay ahead of the adversary,” he added.
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