Veeam Software has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) to strengthen cyber resilience, data governance and cybersecurity workforce development as Indian organisations prepare for the full enforcement of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act in May 2027.
Announced during VeeamON Tour Delhi, the partnership aims to help enterprises address evolving cybersecurity challenges driven by artificial intelligence while improving preparedness for India’s upcoming data protection regulations.
According to Veeam, India’s digital economy now contributes around 13% of the country’s GDP, with enterprises rapidly embracing AI technologies. However, the company’s latest research indicates that while 93% of Indian organisations are using or piloting AI agents, 98% report data-related challenges slowing AI adoption, and 42% identify risks associated with autonomous AI agents as a major concern.
“With the DPDP Act less than a year away from full enforcement, organisations need to move beyond compliance planning and focus on building operational cyber resilience,” said Sandeep Bhambure, Vice President and Managing Director, India & SAARC, Veeam Software. “Our collaboration with DSCI brings together technology, policy expertise and workforce development to help organisations strengthen resilience, accelerate trusted AI adoption and navigate India’s evolving data protection landscape.”
The partnership will focus on four key areas-capacity building, industry engagement, policy research and workforce development. As part of the initiative, Veeam and DSCI will jointly publish “DPDP-Ready in the AI Era: A Sovereign, Secure and Resilient Blueprint for India,” providing practical guidance to help organisations prepare for compliance with the DPDP Act.
The collaboration also includes several cybersecurity talent development programmes, including Cyber Awareness for School Students in government schools in Ahmedabad, Skilling Women in Cyber Resilience for women engineering graduates from Northeast India, and the Cyber Grad Bootcamp, a certification programme designed for science and engineering graduates pursuing careers in cybersecurity.
“With the DPDP Act reshaping how organisations manage data, governance must become an integral part of how systems are designed and operated,” said Vinayak Godse, Chief Executive Officer, Data Security Council of India (DSCI). “Equally important is developing the talent required to support this transition. Our partnership with Veeam combines research, industry engagement and skills development to strengthen India’s cybersecurity ecosystem in an increasingly AI-driven economy.”
As part of its broader Bharat CyberSuraksha initiative, Veeam also announced plans to publish a two-volume Cyber Resilience Leadership Handbook featuring contributions from more than 50 business and technology leaders. The handbook will be distributed to universities and colleges to support cybersecurity and responsible AI education.
Through Bharat CyberSuraksha, Veeam aims to establish 100 Centres of Excellence, facilitate 100,000 cybersecurity certifications, and create 25,000 job pathways into enterprise cybersecurity roles across India.