Cloud-native cybersecurity company Zscaler has partnered with Bharti Airtel to launch the AI & Cyber Threat Research Center - India. The initiative aims to strengthen the country’s cyber resilience and support safe adoption of artificial intelligence.
The new centre will focus on protecting key sectors such as telecommunications, banking, energy, and other critical digital infrastructure that are essential to India’s economy and national security. It will also work to safeguard digital users as cyber threats become more advanced and frequent.
Zscaler said its research team in India has observed millions of encroachment attempts every month, including nation-state cyber espionage campaigns, large-scale infiltration attempts targeting public, and private organisations and a rise in zero-day attacks.
Both companies said traditional security systems, such as firewalls and VPNs are no longer enough in today’s AI-driven, hyper-connected world. The new centre will promote modern security approaches based on Zero Trust Architecture cybersecurity framework and AI-powered threat detection.
The companies said they will also work with government agencies to prevent and respond to cyberattacks. They also encourage the adoption of AI-driven security frameworks and the development of a strong cybersecurity talent pipeline through AI and Zero Trust certifications.
“The partnership with Zscaler marks a significant extension of commitment to combine the power of AI capabilities and deep scale for cybersecurity research to protect the country’s expanding digital ecosystem,” said Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice-Chairman, Bharti Airtel, in a statement. He added that this will help address India-specific cybersecurity challenges and build greater trust in digital systems.
Jay Chaudhry, CEO, Chairman, and Founder, Zscaler added, “India demands a modern Zero Trust architecture that is secure-by-design systems.” The research centre will combine global threat intelligence with local expertise to help the country stay ahead of evolving cyber risks, he noted.
The companies plan to invite more public and private sector organisations to join the initiative in the coming months.
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