Mittal backs AI-driven cybersecurity as Airtel, Zscaler launch AI cyber hub

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the nature of cyber threats, and India’s response must evolve just as quickly, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said at the launch of the AI & Cyber Threat Research Centre – India.

The centre has been established by Zscaler in partnership with Bharti Airtel as a joint initiative to strengthen India’s cyber resilience amid rising AI-driven threats.

The launch took place in the presence of Jay Chaudhry, Chief Executive, Chairman and Founder of Zscaler; Mittal; and Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology.

Mittal emphasised that the occasion was significant not because of a commercial announcement, but because of the scale of the emerging challenge.

“Today is a very special day, because we are going to be announcing something that is very critical,” he said, framing cybersecurity as a national priority rather than a corporate initiative.

Addressing a Growing Attack Surface

India’s rapid digital transformation is expanding its national attack surface across sectors such as telecommunications, banking, energy and public services. As digital systems scale to serve population-level needs, cyber risks have increased in both volume and sophistication.

Minister Vaishnaw noted that the threat surface in India is “going exponentially, geometrically up in every aspect”, particularly as malicious actors increasingly deploy AI-based tools. He stressed that government systems and critical enterprises face especially high levels of risk and called for AI-enabled threats to be countered with equally advanced technological capabilities. He also urged closer coordination between government and industry.

Zscaler’s research arm, ThreatLabz India, has reported millions of infiltration attempts each month. These include campaigns linked to geopolitical tensions, large-scale intrusion attempts originating from tens of thousands of sources targeting Indian digital entities, and a rise in zero-day exploit attempts across multiple industries.

From Perimeter Security to Zero Trust

Jay Chaudhry said the decision to establish a dedicated research centre in India was driven by the increasing severity of cyber threats, particularly those targeting critical infrastructure.

“When adversaries want to take action, imagine if they can take the banking system out, if they can disrupt power, if they can disrupt transportation. That can create a lot of issues,” he said.

Chaudhry explained that Zscaler’s Zero Trust Exchange platform processes more than 500 billion daily transactions globally, generating extensive telemetry on attempted intrusions. By analysing this data, the India-focused research team will seek to identify emerging threats early and work with relevant agencies to remediate vulnerabilities before they escalate.

A portion of Zscaler’s existing research workforce in India will now focus specifically on threats directed at Indian infrastructure and enterprises.

A Multi-Stakeholder Research Platform

The AI & Cyber Threat Research Centre is designed as a collaborative platform bringing together the private sector, public institutions, academia and government agencies. It is intended to function as a national-level hub for research, intelligence sharing and coordinated response.

As founding partners, Zscaler will contribute global threat intelligence and specialised research capabilities, while Airtel will provide operational insights into mobile and IoT networks. Together, the companies said, this will enable faster detection of suspicious activity and more effective response mechanisms.

Mittal warned that the scale and nature of cyber threats are changing rapidly, particularly as AI becomes embedded in both defensive and offensive tools.

“In a place like India, the threat surface is going exponentially, geometrically up in every aspect,” he said. “It is only with technology, AI-based technology that we can counter the threat.”

He stressed that risks are particularly acute for critical infrastructure and government systems, where vulnerabilities can have far-reaching consequences.

Industry-Wide Priority and Legal Reform

Mittal argued that cybersecurity must become a strategic priority across industries, especially in telecommunications and information technology, where digital networks underpin essential services.

“The nature of cyber threats is going to totally change,” he said. “In that scenario, how should our response be? A large number of industry participants should take it as a matter of top priority.”

He called on telecom operators and major IT companies to develop new approaches to counter cyber risks and underlined the need for updated legal and regulatory frameworks.

“We also have to create a new legal framework for cyber security. With all these challenges that we’re facing today, and the new opportunities that we have, the time has come for industry to work in harmony, in alignment, to tackle these new threats.”

Minister Vaishnaw echoed the call for broader industry participation, encouraging telecom and technology firms to establish similar collaborative, research-led initiatives as India’s digital public infrastructure continues to expand.

Four Strategic Pillars

The centre’s mandate is structured around four objectives:

• Strengthening national cyber resilience through real-time intelligence

• Partnering with government agencies to neutralise emerging threats

• Promoting modern security frameworks, including AI-driven defences and Zero Trust architecture

• Building a skilled cybersecurity workforce through specialised training and certifications

Additional members from critical sectors are expected to join over time, broadening collaboration and strengthening collective defence capabilities.

As India advances its digital public infrastructure and enterprise transformation, the launch of the AI & Cyber Threat Research Centre reflects growing recognition that cybersecurity must evolve in parallel,  particularly in an environment where AI is reshaping both opportunity and risk.