New Delhi: Data protection is an important part of national security today and India is trying to bring its own data privacy laws to become a world power in harnessing data, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
“In many ways, the agenda in a digital era is very different where foreign policy is concerned compared to analogue era of foreign policy,” he said Wednesday at the Carnegie India’s Global Technology Summit 2019 in Bengaluru.
Jaishankar said “digital tools and digital practices” are key to governance, and are useful for a country whose resources are limited and is leapfrogging into development.
“Today, we are increasingly seeing a knowledge-driven economy, a knowledge-driven society, a knowledge-driven policy and a knowledge-driven foreign policy…And the challenge to foreign policy here is data privacy,” he added.
Jaishankar’s remarks came on a day when the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Personal Data Protection Bill that will be taken up in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. The bill will spell out a framework for handling of personal data, including its processing by public and private entities.
‘Data is the new influence in many ways’
Jaishankar said there are concerns about data security in India and the country is learning how to protect it in the best possible way from other countries.
“Today, data security is a very important part of national security,” he said, adding data has even become an intrinsic part of how a country runs its trade policy.
“The term is data is the new oil, but I would say that data is the new influence in many ways,” Jaishankar said.
The minister also said India has to be a leading force in harnessing data in order to be a global power.
ThePrint is the digital partner for the event.
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(Edited by Debalina Dey)