The Government of Karnataka and the Consulate General of Israel in Bengaluru on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, convened the Karnataka-Israel Cyber Dialogue 2026 in Bengaluru, bringing together government officials, industry leaders, startups, academia, and cybersecurity experts to chart a deeper bilateral collaboration in cybersecurity innovation, talent development, research, and digital resilience.

Key Developments

Held under the theme 'Stronger Together. Secure Tomorrow', the dialogue was organised under Karnataka's Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), in partnership with the Consulate General and Trade Mission of Israel in South India and the Centre for Cybersecurity Karnataka (CySecK). A delegation of 10 Israeli cybersecurity companies participated, engaging in technology demonstrations and business-to-business (B2B) meetings with Karnataka-based startups and enterprises.

The discussions centred on four pillars: innovation and startups, industry partnerships, talent and skills, and policy and trust — with a shared emphasis on reinforcing the resilience of critical digital infrastructure, businesses, and public institutions.

What the Government Said

Dr. N. Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT and BT, Government of Karnataka, framed cybersecurity as no longer a purely technical concern. 'Cybersecurity is no longer exclusively a technology issue. It is an economic imperative, a governance priority and a fundamental requirement for building trust in the digital future,' she said. She pointed to Karnataka's strong technology ecosystem, skilled talent base, and specialised cybersecurity capabilities as factors that position the state well for such international engagements.

Manjula highlighted two key institutional anchors: the Karnataka Cyber Security Policy 2024, which addresses awareness, skill development, research, startup growth, and cross-sector collaboration; and CySecK, which serves as a convening platform for government, industry, and academia. She also noted that the CySecK team had participated in Cybertech Israel, a major global cybersecurity event, and that Karnataka is exploring the possibility of Bengaluru hosting Cybertech in the future.

Knowledge-exchange initiatives with institutions such as Tel Aviv University were also referenced as potential pathways to long-term institutional and technology partnerships.

Israel's Perspective

Orli Weitzman, Consul General of Israel to South India, described the dialogue as a reflection of the growing India-Israel partnership and the complementary strengths of both ecosystems. 'India and Israel share a culture of problem solving, with a strong emphasis on education, entrepreneurship and innovation. Cybersecurity is one of the clearest areas where our two ecosystems can work together,' she said. Weitzman argued that Israel's cybersecurity expertise, combined with India's talent, scale, and technological capabilities, could generate significant commercial and research opportunities.

Outcomes and What Comes Next

The B2B meetings and technology demonstrations were designed to translate dialogue into actionable commercial and technological partnerships. Key recommendations from the event will be consolidated into a white paper, expected to inform future policy considerations and recommendations for strengthening cybersecurity in Karnataka. This comes amid a broader global surge in state-level cybersecurity diplomacy, as sub-national governments increasingly seek bilateral tech partnerships to supplement national frameworks.