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    OPINION                                                                   JULY 24, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 10

            Digitally Enabled Radicalization

              and Violent Extremism in India

            India’s rapidly evolving security landscape is increasingly shaped by the online ecosystem, driven by the
               convergence of emerging technologies, decentralized peer-to-peer networks, and online communities.

                                                                                                                  sequence of technological evolution,
                                                                                                                  aided by the expansion of internet
                                                                                                                  access and advancements in emerg-
                                                                                                                  ing technologies that enable encrypt-
                                                                                                                  ed communication for operational
                                                                                                                  planning and the dissemination of
                                                                                                                  extremist content, have raised the
                                                                                                                  stakes for states, including India,
                                                                                                                  seeking to revamp their security ap-
                                                                                                                  paratus in tandem with existing reali-
                  SAMAN AYESHA KIDWAI                                                                             ties and emerging trends.
                                                                                                                      PRAHAAR is an important and
                  he digital ecosystem is increas-                                                                much-needed step in that direction.
                  ingly playing an enabling role                                                                  The Union government acknowledg-
            Tin  disseminating  propagan-                                                                         es in its national counter-terrorism
            da, incitement and mobilization in                                                                    policy and strategy document that:
            the pursuit of violent extremist acts.                                                                        For propaganda, communica-
            While not every act of radicaliza-                                                                    tion, funding and other guiding ter-
            tion has manifested into incidents                                                                    ror attacks, these terror groups (ISIS,
            that could be categorized as violent    The emerging security landscape is increasingly shaped by AI platforms and online network-  Al-Qaeda, and Pak-backed terror
            extremist in nature, rigorous online   ing, both of which have contributed to shaping the current phase of radicalization and violent   outfits)  use  social  media  platforms
            indoctrination carries the potential                      extremism in India (IDSA)                   as well as ‘instant messaging applica-
            to, through  sustained radicalization,                                                                tions.’ Technological advancements
            eventually transform into acts of vi-                                                                 like encryption, dark web, crypto wal-
            olent  extremism  targeted  at  state   concerns attached to the exploita-  terrorism converge with an increas-  lets, etc. have allowed these groups
            infrastructure, places of worship,   tion of social media and encrypted   ingly penetrable digital environment,   to operate anonymously.
            government agencies, elected repre-  chat forums by violent extremists. It   regulating  content shared  on  social   Recent investigations and case
            sentatives, or unarmed civilians.  signals that developments within the   media or encrypted chat forums be-  studies further reveal that online
                This is particularly important as   broader digital ecosystem need to be   comes crucial.         radicalization in India is anchored in
            traditional avenues and timelines for   factored into national security policy.  The Threat of Online   four fundamental pillars: encrypted
            radicalization and subsequent acts of   This is particularly crucial given   Radicalization           communication, online propaganda,
            violent extremism (including terror-  the recent acts of extremist violence,                          social media, and private messaging
            ism) have become far less dependent   including the car blast near the Red   ndia has, over the decades, faced   platforms or applications. The recur-
            on physical or in-person interactions   Fort in New Delhi (November 2025)   physical acts of terror and narcot-  ring trends reflect a concerning real-
            over prolonged periods. As per the   and the lone wolf stabbing incident in  Iics trafficking (via drones) linked   ity: the dual challenges of radicaliza-
            Global Terrorism Index Report 2026,   Mumbai (April 2026), which indicate   to Khalistanis and Pakistan-backed   tion and violent extremism no longer
            the time taken for an individual to   that the perpetrators have increas-  groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed   require prolonged physical or in-per-
            become radicalized and subsequent-  ingly been indoctrinated online to   (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).   son communication, trust-building
            ly commit acts of extremist violence   carry out acts aimed at undermining   While these threats have persisted,   exercises,  the  cultivation  of  offline
            has shrunk to a matter of weeks by   national security (see subsequent   the transformations taking place in   social networks, face-to-face recruit-
            2026,  down  from  more  than  a  year   sections for details).     the technological realm have resulted   ment, or repeated indoctrination
            in 2005, from first exposure to radi-  At the same time, there have   in important developments. This has   lasting several months. Rather, the
            cal material to the carrying out of an   been  crackdowns on micro-cells   been particularly evident in the ways   entire process can take place online
            attack.                           and online networks of extremists   non-state actors evade surveillance,   within a few short weeks. Taken to-
               Broader Domestic Context       inspired by the virulent ideology es-  conduct logistical and operational   gether, these investigations indicate
                                              poused by Al-Qaeda (AQ) and ISIS   planning aimed at carrying out acts   that online radicalization within the
                   ver the last decade, India   on the one hand, and criminal net-  of violence to undermine state secu-  domestic context has been shaped by
                   has taken decisive steps to   works linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Ser-  rity, and raise funds through encrypt-  three facets operating simultaneous-
            Oneutralize emerging security     vices Intelligence (ISI) on the other.   ed blockchain  technology available   ly, and at times overlapping: import-
            threats, including the institutionaliza-  The latter, in particular, operates at   on cryptocurrency platforms, where   ed propaganda consumed online,
            tion of PRAHAAR in February 2026,   the intersection of organized crime   regulatory enforcement measures re-  digitally networked infrastructure,
            India’s first publicly available nation-  and terrorism.            main limited.                     and foreign handlers, particularly
            al counter-terrorism strategy. The    Therefore,  as   conventional     Furthermore,  the  structural  those based in Pakistan.
            document acknowledges the growing   threats such as organized crime and   transformations underway as a con-  Continued on next page... >>

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