Andhra Pradesh pushes for cybersecurity edge with focus on AI, quantum tech

Andhra Pradesh is positioning itself as a national leader in cybersecurity innovation by integrating artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and digital safety frameworks. At the CyberSecure Andhra 2025 conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, policymakers, industry leaders, and technology experts underlined the need to safeguard the State’s rapidly expanding digital governance ecosystem.

“We are not only safeguarding critical infrastructure but also enabling the State’s future growth,” said Ramu Venigandla, MLA, Gudivada, and Founder & Chairman of Eficens Systems. He added that under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh has become a pioneer in digital services, with more than 700 governance services available through WhatsApp. “But we have also witnessed the losses when data falls into the wrong hands. Cybersecurity is no longer optional,” he warned.

The conference, themed “Securing Andhra’s Digital Backbone: Engineering Trust in an Age of Cyber Risk,” and brought together key stakeholders from government, academia, and global tech companies.

CII Past Chairman Sivakumar Gunturu, CEO of Maple Software, opened the sessions by calling for deeper collaboration across sectors. Karan Sajnani, Founder and Chief Cybersecurity Architect at RUDRA Cybersecurity Pvt. Ltd., highlighted vulnerabilities in India’s digital infrastructure, stressing the urgency of proactive measures.
From Infosys, Brijesh Balakrishnan, Global Head of Cybersecurity Services, described an “adversarial arms race” where cybercriminals deploy AI for sophisticated attacks while defenders use AI tools for real-time detection and response.

Addressing the disruptive potential of quantum computing, Ajay Kulkarni, Leader – Quantum Safe & Hybrid Cloud Garage at IBM, cautioned against the “harvest now, decrypt later” threat model, urging immediate adoption of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards and crypto-agility solutions.

Adding to this, Sanjay Chittore, Founder & CEO of Quantum AI Global, introduced Q-Forte, a patented post-quantum security framework designed for identity, cloud, IoT, blockchain, and digital transactions. “Quantum-resilient governance is essential if Andhra Pradesh wants to lead in digital sovereignty,” he said.

The day-long event concluded with a joint call to action for government, industry, and academia to build a resilient digital ecosystem. Panel discussions explored fraud prevention via OTP and e-KYC safeguards, lessons from international case studies, and strategies to counter large-scale cyberattacks.

Attendees included representatives from IBM, Deloitte, Infosys, Quantum AI Global, and RUDRA Cybersecurity, along with policy experts and academic institutions. Organisers said the initiative supports Andhra Pradesh’s paperless governance mission and strengthens its reputation as a frontrunner in cybersecurity innovation.