Cisco’s sovereign technology push in India: What it means for data security, critical infrastructure, digital independence

Who controls the technology running a country’s hospitals, banks, government networks and critical services? Increasingly, that question is about more than cybersecurity. It is also about who can access sensitive data, who manages essential systems and whether those systems can keep working during a geopolitical crisis.

That is the context behind Cisco’s decision to bring its sovereign critical infrastructure portfolio to India. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi on Tuesday, October 13, Cisco Chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins said the company planned to introduce the offering in India over the coming months.

The announcement comes as India pushes to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers in strategically important areas without shutting itself off from global technology partnerships.

Cisco’s…