India must fast-track indigenous R&D to build a sovereign digital investigation ecosystem: Deloitte–DSCI report
- Digital forensics emerges as a strategic enabler of trust which is no longer a back-end support function but a frontline capability essential for safeguarding digital trust, ensuring compliance and reinforcing national resilience in India’s rapidly digitising economy.
- Mobile forensics dominates the landscape with a 51 percent share, driven by the convergence of smartphone usage, digital payments and mobile-centric cybercrime.
- India can lead in digital adoption and accountability by turning its forensic ecosystem into a global benchmark for cyber resilience.
National, 5 June 2025: As India’s digital footprint expands, so does the scale and sophistication of its cybercrimes, highlighting the need for advanced digital forensic capabilities. With increasing data volumes, rising regulatory scrutiny and evolving cyber threats, digital forensics has become a critical pillar of national security, enterprise resilience and legal accountability. In this context, Deloitte India, in collaboration with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), has launched the “Indian Digital Forensic Market Report 2025”, calling for an urgent shift towards building a sovereign forensic technology ecosystem and reducing reliance on imported tools. The report also highlights the need for a unified legal and regulatory framework to make digital evidence more reliable and judicially effective.
India’s digital forensics market is on an unprecedented growth trajectory, projected to skyrocket at a CAGR of nearly 40 percent, set to hit INR11,829 crore (US$1.39 billion) by FY 2029–30, i.e. more than triple the global average of 11 percent. The rise signals a pivot in India’s digital crime and cybersecurity readiness approach. Mobile forensics now dominates the sector, accounting for about 51 percent of the market, driven by the boom in smartphone usage, digital payments and mobile-centric cybercrime. With 81 percent of demand coming from the public sector, particularly law enforcement, the report highlights the growing reliance on forensic tech to combat sophisticated digital threats. The message is clear: India is ramping up investment in digital forensics not just as a response mechanism, but as a critical pillar of national security and digital trust.
To unlock the sector’s full potential, it recommends a strategic roadmap centered on boosting Indigenous Research & Development (R&D). This is critical to reducing import dependence, expanding education and certification programmes to bridge the projected shortfall of 90,000 forensic professionals and modernising national infrastructure with advanced labs and regional Centers of Excellence. Strengthening public–private partnerships, streamlining procurement and introducing unified regulatory standards will be critical to improving cross-border investigation capabilities and digital crime response.
“As India’s digital economy rapidly expands, so too does the scale and complexity of cyber threats. In this evolving landscape, from financial fraud and data breaches to sophisticated cross-border attacks, digital forensics has moved from a reactive tool to a strategic capability. It is essential for safeguarding digital trust, securing critical infrastructure and supporting compliance. The sector presents a significant opportunity for growth, driven by rising enterprise demand, regulatory scrutiny and technological advancement. The way forward lies in accelerating capacity building, fostering innovation in indigenous tools and embedding forensic readiness into the core of digital transformation strategies across sectors.”
- Nikhil Bedi, Leader, Risk, Regulatory & Forensic, Deloitte India
“India’s journey as a digital-first economy has opened immense opportunities—but it has also widened the playing field for cybercriminals. As attacks grow more targeted and complex, the need for a robust, scalable, and tech-driven forensics ecosystem becomes mission-critical. Digital forensics today must evolve beyond traditional boundaries, integrating with cybersecurity frameworks and supporting faster, more reliable investigations. With growing public sector demand and emerging private sector participation, the potential to shape a globally competitive forensic industry is within reach. While we are witnessing the cyber security industry ecosystem maturing, we need to emulate similar for the digital forensics industry. This report is among the first such kind of effort towards giving focused attention to digital forensics innovation and industry building.”
- Vinayak Godse, CEO, Data Security Council of India (DSCI)
As India accelerates towards a digitally empowered future, integrating forensic capabilities into the fabric of its cyber and governance framework is imperative. Strengthening investigative capabilities, closing the talent gap and empowering innovation must take centre stage. With the right investments in skills, infrastructure and indigenous technology, digital forensics can evolve from a reactive tool to a proactive enabler of trust, resilience and national security, ensuring that India’s digital growth is inclusive and secure.
To access the full report and learn more about the findings, please visit: https://www.deloitte.com/in/en/services/consulting/services/risk-regulatory-forensic/indian-digital-forensic-market-report.html
About Deloitte
This press release has been issued by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL), its global network of member firms, and their related entities (collectively, the “Deloitte organization”). DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) and each of its member firms and related entities are legally separate and independent entities, which cannot obligate or bind each other in respect of third parties. DTTL and each DTTL member firm and related entity is liable only for its own acts and omissions, and not those of each other. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more.
Media contact
Pallavi Das
Deloitte Shared Services India LLP
Email: paldas@deloitte.com