Ravi Shankar Prasad states that India supports better international cooperation in cyber security

India supports better international cooperation in cyber security to fight against growing cyber crime and cyber terrorism, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Attending bilateral meetings in Germany during G20 Digital Ministers meeting on Digital Economy, he said India is also of the view that multi-stakeholders model is the best option for the spread of digitalisation and that a border should not be an impediment in the way of mobility of professionals and information, according to an official statement here. Bilateral engagements were held with representatives of Russia, Indonesia, Germany, Britain, Argentina, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the International Telecommunication Union. The G20 Ministers expressed their warm appreciation for the accomplishments of the Digital India programme. They noted how Digital India is provisioning a unique digital identity - cheaply, securely, and with privacy - to 1.1 billion citizens through Aadhaar, said a statement by the Electronics and IT Ministry. About the Indian government’s drive towards Digital India, Prasad said: “Digital technologies and the internet, which represents some of the finest creations of the human mind are today a ‘global common good’; which we can harness for bridging the digital divide, empowering and improving the quality of life for our citizens.” Emphasising how India is advancing in the knowledge economy by catalysing innovation, he said: “We believe that innovation is key to our success as a digital economy. India today has one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems with over 4,000 startups every year working in emerging technology areas including IoT, data analytics, Block Chains and machine learning. “Many of these startups are also in the forefront of developing solutions to many of our grand challenges in areas such as health and education.”