In today’s interconnected world, a nation operates very much like a corporation. It manages resources, handles risk, and strives to remain resilient in times of crisis. Just like a business has a continuity plan to keep operations running during disruptions, a country too must have a national continuity framework—especially in the digital era where infrastructure, governance, communication, and commerce are increasingly dependent on technology.
Recent geopolitical developments have reminded us that while globalization promised mutual growth, its current form is increasingly indistinguishable from a newer kind of imperialism—one that does not need military invasions or territorial conquests. In the past, empires expanded through force. Today, influence is exercised through technological dominance. Whoever controls the infrastructure, controls the flow of information, money, and power.
To be clear, this is not a commentary on the merits or demerits of any particular geopolitical decision—be it the sanctions on Russia or actions by the West. Instead, this is a sober reflection on the consequences of outsourcing national dependencies to foreign digital ecosystems.
Take the example of the global banking network SWIFT. When Russian banks were cut off from it as part of sanctions, the impact was immediate and crippling. No bullets were fired, yet a major component of that nation’s financial ecosystem was rendered inoperative. In another incident, Microsoft servers used by Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot reportedly suffered a cyberattack or service disruption that impacted core operations. While these actions may have had political or ethical justification, they also highlighted how deeply national services rely on foreign software and platforms.
India, too, has had a close brush with this form of vulnerability. In 2024, Nayara Energy—a key oil refining company with Russian investment—allegedly faced operational difficulties when Microsoft enterprise services linked to the company were suspended, likely in response to international sanctions. Though India had not taken a hostile stance, its energy infrastructure was indirectly affected by a conflict and decision beyond its borders.
But the real wake-up call lies in what we continue to take for granted.
Imagine waking up one day and Android no longer works. Your phone—a lifeline to everything from banking to transport—becomes a paperweight. iOS stops functioning, and with it, the productivity of an entire generation of users grinds to a halt. Microsoft decides that your laptop won’t boot without authentication from their servers—and suddenly every office in the country is frozen in time. Major cloud platforms—AWS, Azure, Google Cloud—cease services over a diplomatic disagreement or global crisis. Your data is intact, but inaccessible. Your business continuity plan? Irrelevant.
This is not a theoretical exercise. Every phone we use, every cloud we trust, every software license we rely on—rests on terms and controls we do not dictate. Many of these systems can be remotely disabled. Some already have built-in control mechanisms that can be triggered without warning. We’ve built the digital nervous system of our country using someone else’s brain.
These aren’t isolated or alarmist concerns. They are the modern reality of technological dependence.
If the foundation of your economy and national security rests on infrastructure you do not control, the idea of sovereignty becomes symbolic. As we step into a future powered by AI, cloud computing, and digital ecosystems, the urgency for technological self-reliance cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, AI is leveling the field. What would once take decades to build—like a secure mobile operating system or a homegrown cloud platform—can now be developed faster and more efficiently. With the right intent and investment, India has the talent and scale to build independent digital foundations for everything from banking to telecom, defense to healthcare.
The question is not whether we are vulnerable. That has already been demonstrated. The real question is whether we act now—before the next geopolitical disruption—or wait until the digital equivalent of a blackout brings us to a standstill.
In a world where power is no longer just measured in megatons but in megabytes, the real weapon may no longer be a missile, but a menu option. And unless we hold the switch ourselves, someone else will always be in control.
By Ajith Nambiaruveetil
Excellently said, Sir. Being an IT professional myself, I feel that it’s high time we become self reliant in technology.