1.5 years later, Maharashtra fails to roll out cybersecurity policy

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s much-hyped cybersecurity policy has failed to roll out even one-and-a-half years after the govt announced that the state would get a new policy.State IT minister Ashish Shelar set up a cybersecurity task force in Jan 2025 to draft the policy as part of the Mahayuti govt’s 100-day action plan. However, the task force has now been disbanded, and the cybersecurity policy has been put in cold storage, sources and members said.The task force members, including top industry experts, corporate honchos and academics, said that they have not had any meeting in several months now, and the govt has not consulted them on the policy since they submitted their recommendations.“Cyber Surakshit Maharashtra is our Mission! Maharashtra takes 1st step to develop Cybersecurity Policy! As part of the CM Devendra Fadnavis-led govt’s 100-day action plan. Pleased to announce the formation of the Cybersecurity Policy Task Force, 2025, by my IT Ministry, to help Maharashtra develop a Cybersecurity Policy to secure and protect Maharashtra’s IT and digital infrastructure! Maharashtra Cybersecurity Policy, 2025, is a priority,” Shelar said in a post on X.“Given the increasing use of technology affecting all aspects of our daily lives. Massive growth of India’s (US$600 billion) digital economy, with Maharashtra’s share estimated to be Rs 6 lakh crores+. Maharashtra govt’s citizen-centric approach with nearly 800 govt services provided online to citizens. Increase in cybercrime and illegal cyber/digital activities. Maharashtra’s cybersecurity policy 2025 will be based on the guiding principles and objectives of our national cybersecurity policy 2013 and national cybersecurity strategy 2020,” Shelar said.When the task force was set up, the IT department was headed by principal secretary Parag Jain Nainutia. However, in Oct 2025, he was replaced by Virendra Singh, an IAS officer of the 2006 batch. Singh, the current secretary for IT, did not respond to queries from TOI.When contacted, Shelar said his department would finalise the cybersecurity policy “in the next step”, like they completed the AI policy. “Cybersecurity policy will be rolled out soon. The task force has made a wonderful contribution, and I have instructed the IT secretary to take feedback from their efforts and contribution soon,” Shelar told TOI.“Maharashtra’s Cybersecurity Policy 2025 seeks to help the Maharashtra govt build a robust cybersecurity ecosystem for citizens, academia, industry, start-ups and the govt, secure, protect govt and semi-govt IT infrastructure and enable the growth of cyber security industry through capacity building, skill development, innovation and R&D through a govt, industry, academia and citizens’ partnership approach,” Shelar said.