India is moving, but not fast enough, to counter threats in cyberspace and space. While the country has recognized the need to treat these as the new domains of warfare and has established dedicated defense agencies, a lack of cohesive strategy, slow decision-making, and persistent technological gaps are hindering its readiness.

The Cyber Domain-

India faces a significant and present threat in cyberspace. It is one of the most targeted countries for cyberattacks, with state-sponsored actors frequently targeting critical infrastructure and government networks.

• Progress: India has taken a major step by establishing the Defence Cyber Agency (DCyA), a tri-service organization tasked with handling cyber threats. The DCyA is responsible for defensive operations, developing offensive capabilities, and framing a long-term cybersecurity doctrine for the military. The government is also working on a new National Cyber Security Strategy to replace the outdated 2013 policy, with a greater focus on protecting critical infrastructure and fostering public-private collaboration.

• Challenges: Despite these efforts, India's cyber preparedness remains a work in progress. It suffers from a severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals and a fragmented legal framework. Moreover, a major vulnerability lies in the country's reliance on foreign hardware and software for its critical infrastructure, which are susceptible to backdoors and vulnerabilities. This dependence makes India highly vulnerable to supply chain attacks.

The Space Domain-

Space is now a critical theater of military operations, with assets used for everything from communication and navigation to surveillance and targeting. India is making strides but lags behind its key adversaries, especially China.

• Progress: India has established the Defence Space Agency (DSA) to manage its military space assets and develop a space warfare strategy. This is a crucial step towards creating a unified command and control structure for all of India's space assets. The country also demonstrated its anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon capability with Mission Shakti in 2019, joining an exclusive club of nations. Furthermore, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is actively launching dedicated military satellites, like the GSAT series, to enhance military communication and surveillance. India also has its own navigation system, NavIC.

• Challenges: While India has shown its ability to destroy a satellite, it lacks a comprehensive and scalable counter-space capability. China's military space program is far more advanced, with a larger constellation of military satellites and a wider array of counter-space technologies, including ground-based lasers, satellite jammers, and co-orbital ASATs. India's military satellite coverage is still limited compared to China's, which poses a significant disadvantage for real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) during a conflict. The slow pace of developing indigenous counter-space technologies and the lack of a dedicated space command (the DSA is not yet a full-fledged command) are major hurdles.