Navigating the Cybersecurity Imperative in India’s Manufacturing Ascent

Written by Vaibhav Dutta, Associate Vice President and Global Head-Cybersecurity Products & Services, Tata Communications.

Originally published in Manufacturing Today.

As the world’s supply chains rearrange themselves in the wake of geopolitical uncertainties, climate mandates, and automation acceleration, India has stepped confidently into a new role—one of a global manufacturing anchor. From electronics and EVs to semiconductors and defence, global giants are placing their bets on Indian soil.

But amidst this optimistic surge lies an invisible, fast-approaching deadline.

Cybersecurity, once considered a backend function, is fast becoming the frontline of industrial continuity. As India builds more connected factories, digitises more workflows, and integrates global value chains, it must ask itself a defining question: are we ready to protect what we’re building?

When Code Can Crash a Conveyor Belt

We’re not talking about abstract threats or hypothetical risks. Cyberthreats are no longer confined to code, they’re becoming physical, striking at the very heart of industrial operations. Today’s attackers don’t just steal data, they disable production. They infiltrate operational technology, infect industrial control systems, and weaponise disruption. The target isn’t always the server room. Often, it’s the shop floor. 

For instance, in June 2024, a ransomware attack on a a major provider of automotive dealership management software led to a temporary freeze across nearly 15,000 US car dealerships. It crippled sales, disrupted repairs, and created panic across a $1.2 trillion industry. In 2023, a global marine manufacturer estimated $85 million in losses after a breach.

In India, a single cyberattack forced a major auto manufacturer to halt production, sending shockwaves through its vendor and dealer networks.

A cyber breach today isn’t just an IT problem. It’s a business crisis.

The Rise of Smart Manufacturing Brings New Cyber Risks

India's rapid embrace of automation and robotics in manufacturing is transforming it into a global production powerhouse. This shift, however, also expands the attack surface for cyber threats. In 2024, India deployed approximately 6,500 industrial robots, with projections indicating this number will quadruple to 26,700 units by 2033, reflecting a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.7% . This surge in automation enhances efficiency but also introduces new vulnerabilities, as interconnected systems become potential targets for cyber adversaries.

A report by Dragos revealed that 87% increase in ransomware attacks against industrial organisation over the past year, with average ransom payment in the manufacturing sector being $1.5 million, higher than the global average across all industries as per another research.

Meanwhile, supply chain attacks are on the rise. A breach in a Tier-2 Indian supplier could easily ripple into assembly lines in Europe or North America, stalling production across borders and continents. The recent cyberattack on Marks & Spencer, which exploited vulnerabilities in a third-party contractor, underscores how a single supplier compromise can disrupt global operations and inflict substantial financial losses with the company's stock value dropping by over £1 billion following a cyber freeze on its online operations.

This is the double-edged sword of India’s manufacturing rise: the more connected we become, the more exposed we are.

Industry 5.0: Where Cyber Resilience Is Core to Progress

We are entering the era of Industry 5.0, a world where human-centric innovation, automation, and sustainability intersect. And in this world, cybersecurity must no longer be an afterthought. It must be the architecture.

The next leap must involve embedding cybersecurity into the very fabric of our industrial growth.

We must stop thinking of cybersecurity as an insurance policy and start seeing it as a capability. One that ensures uptime, safeguards trust, and that protects progress.

The Priority call to Switch from Reactive to Resilient 

But with that comes a new cyber reality, where opportunity and vulnerability coexist. 

• Prioritise OT Security Assessments at Scale: Vulnerability mapping across operational environments must become as routine as quality or compliance checks. Partnering with a global Managed Security Service Providers who specialise in large-scale industrial cybersecurity can help manufacturers proactively assess risks across both legacy and next-gen systems.
• Embed Supply Chain Integrity with AI-Powered Cyber Defense: In such a hyperconnected environment, a digitally weak supplier is not just a liability but a live threat vector. Cyber hygiene should be a core metric in vendor and supplier evaluations. Leveraging AI-powered Security Operations Centres (SOCs) that integrate advanced threat detection and response services, including continuous monitoring and expert-driven analysis, can identify known and unknown threats using various threat hunting techniques. Additionally, controlling third-party privileges, especially during routine maintenance activities, is critical to minimizing exposure and preventing lateral movement within the network. Robust access management and time-bound permissions should be enforced to ensure operational security at every touchpoint.
• Adopt Zero Trust Architectures & SASE by Default: Traditional perimeter security models are no longer sufficient. Every identity, device, and application must verify its legitimacy before gaining access, no exceptions, no assumptions. Implementing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) frameworks ensures that security is maintained regardless of where users or applications reside.
• Elevate Cyber Risk to a Boardroom Metric: Security must be measured not in technical jargon but in operational impact. Think in terms of hours of production lost, reputational damage, and downstream disruption, not just data volume. Advanced cybersecurity solutions now offer AI/ML-empowered analytics platforms that analyse vast amounts of network data in real-time, providing actionable insights into potential threats.

Leading Not Just in Scale, but in Security

India’s ability to secure its smart factories, digital supply chains, and interconnected production ecosystems will define not just its economic growth, but the operational continuity of industries worldwide. But scale alone is not enough. In an increasingly hyper connected economy, resilience is power.

It’s important to embrace a mindset shift. One that treats cybersecurity not as a technical safeguard, but as industrial infrastructure and the deadline isn’t in 2030. It’s now.