Karnataka, Israel hold cyber dialogue 2026; join hands to strengthen cybersecurity partnership
Bengaluru, Aug 12 (IANS) The Government of Karnataka and the Consulate General of Israel in Bengaluru on Wednesday held the Karnataka-Israel Cyber Dialogue 2026, bringing together government officials, industry leaders, startups, academia and cybersecurity experts to explore deeper collaboration in cybersecurity innovation, talent development, research and digital resilience.
Held under the theme ‘Stronger Together. Secure Tomorrow,’ the dialogue was organised as part of Karnataka’s Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), in collaboration with the Consulate General and Trade Mission of Israel in South India and the Centre for Cybersecurity Karnataka (CySecK).
A delegation of 10 Israeli cybersecurity companies participated in the programme, which included technology demonstrations and business-to-business (B2B) meetings with Karnataka-based startups and companies. The engagement aimed to move beyond knowledge exchange and identify practical opportunities for technology partnerships and collaboration.
The discussions focussed on four key areas — innovation and startups, industry partnerships, talent and skills, and policy and trust — with an emphasis on strengthening the resilience of critical digital infrastructure, businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at the event, Dr. N. Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT and BT, Government of Karnataka, said cybersecurity had become an economic imperative and a governance priority as digital technologies become increasingly embedded in everyday life.
“Cybersecurity is no longer exclusively a technology issue. It is an economic imperative, a governance priority and a fundamental requirement for building trust in the digital future. Karnataka is rightly placed to engage in such technology collaborations, given our strong technology and innovation ecosystem, skilled talent, startups, research institutions and specialised cybersecurity capabilities,” she said.
Manjula highlighted Karnataka’s Global Innovation Alliance, through which the state engages with countries on areas of mutual interest and develops partnerships in technology and innovation. She said the Karnataka-Israel engagement could strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity innovation, startup partnerships, talent development, research, technology validation and critical infrastructure protection.
She also highlighted the state’s efforts to strengthen its cybersecurity ecosystem through the Karnataka Cyber Security Policy 2024 and the establishment of CySecK.
The policy focusses on cybersecurity awareness, skill development, research and innovation, startup growth and greater collaboration among government, industry and academia. CySecK serves as a platform connecting these stakeholders to promote cybersecurity awareness, skilling, startup incubation and innovation.
Manjula said the CySecK team had participated in Cybertech Israel, a major global cybersecurity event. Karnataka is also exploring opportunities for deeper engagement with the global cybersecurity ecosystem, including the possibility of Bengaluru hosting Cybertech in the future.
She also referred to knowledge-exchange initiatives with institutions such as Tel Aviv University, saying such engagements could contribute to long-term institutional and technology partnerships.
Orli Weitzman, Consul General of Israel to South India, said the dialogue reflected the growing India-Israel partnership and the complementary strengths of the two ecosystems.
“India and Israel share a culture of problem solving, with a strong emphasis on education, entrepreneurship and innovation. Cybersecurity is one of the clearest areas where our two ecosystems can work together,” she said.
Weitzman said Israel’s cybersecurity expertise and entrepreneurial ecosystem, combined with India’s talent, scale and technological capabilities, could create significant opportunities for collaboration.
The participation of the 10 Israeli cybersecurity companies enabled Karnataka-based firms and startups to directly interact with technology providers and explore potential partnerships. The B2B meetings and technology demonstrations were aimed at translating the dialogue into commercial and technological collaborations.
The key recommendations emerging from the dialogue will be consolidated into a white paper, which is expected to contribute to future policy considerations and recommendations for strengthening cybersecurity in Karnataka.
–IANS
mka/rad