New Delhi: The Indian government recently released a new indigenous web browser designed with robust data security and privacy features that will aid in the addition of digital sovereignty and self-reliance to the country.
The announcement comes in the wake of the Indian Web Browser Development Challenge (IWBDC)-- a competition targeting the development of a web browser design that would cater to the needs of Indian users, respect national laws, and build trust within the digital ecosystem.
Magesh Ethirajan, Director General of C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing), told ETV Bharat, "This browser is indigenous and home-grown as it has been developed with features that are not seen in the commonly available browsers such as digital signing within the browsers through the use of crypto tokens. Secondly, the browser comes with a built-in CCA India root certificate that can enable Indian Certifying Authorities (CAs) to locally issue SSL/TLS Certificates, thereby saving lots of money in foreign exchange. So, this means that the websites are completely trusted by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), the apex Certification Authority in the country and sanctified by Indian IT Laws.
He added, “The browser also has parental controls, which means you can set the do’s and don'ts for safe browsing. This Web Browser Development Challenge was meant for Indian Organisations, Startups, MSMEs, Industries, and Academia. The Winner of this Challenge, Team Zoho Corporation, came up with their Ulaa which is now available with more indigenous features that were sought in the challenge."
C-DAC and IIT Madras are working together to develop the RISC-V series of processors. Multiple chip designs are being developed, starting with a 32-bit processor, a 64-bit processor, and a dual processor for high-performance applications. Through this initiative, we can strengthen the RISC-V ecosystem that will make India self-reliant.
“Next, we aim to develop our own high-performance computing (HPC) systems using server-class processors that are indigenously designed within the country. A roadmap has already been established, and work is in progress. We plan to create large chips that run multiple RISC-V processor cores, contributing to India’s HPC needs. This will reduce our dependency on high-cost processors from other countries and eliminate the need to pay royalty fees," Ethirajan said.
"In the near future, we will also explore the use of photonics and photonic computing, which will be a precursor to the development of quantum computers. Many foundries today can support the development of photonic chips for mass digital applications. This is possible because photonics does not require advanced infrastructure, such as sub-nanometer technology, and can be developed with chips at 130 or 180 nanometers," he added.
"Another important focus is the development of Brushless DC Motors (BLDC), as current DC motors are noisy and not power-efficient. While DC motors are often considered more efficient than AC motors, they are still not optimal. Additionally, we are heavily dependent on imported chips. With the new initiatives announced for MSMEs, we expect to see the development of more power-efficient, accurate, and quieter DC motors, which will be controllable through advanced new controllers," he further said.
The event was given vocal support by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who praised this idea as an important part of the government's "Service India to Product India" initiative.
Minister put the condition that the IT sector in India, which has been focused on services for years, must now convert its activities from services to products. The government will take the lead in promoting startups, academia, and industries to develop and deliver software and hardware products that can not only help Indian users but also be used for India's digital self-reliance.
Addressing the event, Minister Vaishnaw said, "Our end goal is to make India a product nation. The government decided to bring this challenge so that startups, academia, and students are able to create totally indigenous software products. The very first milestone of producing a whole Indian stack soon has begun."
He then went further to say that the development of the browser, which is the central gateway to the internet, belongs to the milestones in the construction of a complete digital Indian infrastructure. This also fits in with our larger goal of locally making technology and nurturing homegrown innovations that are relevant to the specific challenges in the Indian market.
Compliance of the new browser with India’s Data Protection Act will be a benefit to the users because their data will be held in the country which may add some extra security missing in international browsers. The government is confident that its data will not be compromised by unauthorised foreign surveillance or breaches by keeping data within its own country.
This brand new browser has been developed with support for all platforms ensuring its suitability for iOS, Windows, and Android devices. Thus, such a browser is to be one that will be widely used among all devices/OS. This feature is quite important as it can empower people to go for their preferred devices such as iPhones, Macs, or Windows PCs and help them experience private, secure, and reliable web browsing.
Focusing on the IWBDC, Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the centre is a major part of the broader context of India’s technology expansion. He emphasised that the priority of the government is not only to develop secure software solutions but also to invest in hardware innovation, like server-class processors and high-performance computing systems, to lessen dependence on foreign technologies.
“Bit by bit as we go, we have to develop the whole software stack,” he said, on the issue of coming together of academia, researchers, and industry.
