Close collaboration between governments and industry is important, says envoy Mellor
Telecommunications industry leaders in the UK and India will harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle online fraud, scams and harms under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 14 Sept between the UK government and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
The MoU provide a framework for activities to share learning, facilitate knowledge sharing and build engagement around key digital fraud-related issues impacting India and the UK. “It sets out how our telecoms industries can utilise the latest technologies and approaches alongside the recent advancements in AI, which is transforming how networks are designed, managed and secured across the digital economy,” said a press release issued by the British High Commission in New Delhi.
The agreement will bolster fraud resilience in the UK and India by placing industry at the heart of the solution to this global problem. Digital fraud is a growing transnational organised crime and combating it requires close co-ordination between governments and the industry. This collaboration will unite experts from the UK and India to support a safer and more trusted digital ecosystem.
Ben Mellor, Acting British High Commissioner to India, said, “We are living through an extraordinary period of technological change, with AI transforming the way communication networks are designed and secured. Industry partners are central to protecting citizens, business and institutions from nefarious actors who may cause them harm.
“That’s why close collaboration between governments and industry – and in forums such as these – is so important. The MoU we’ve signed today reflects the UK’s and India’s shared commitment to address emerging challenges at the intersection of telecommunications and digital security.”
The partnership strengthens the commitments of the Technology Security Initiative (TSI) and UK-India Vision 2035 to ensure that technological innovation, including the development and adoption of AI, strengthens rather than undermines trust in digital services.
Fraud is not confined by borders. Over two-thirds of cases in the UK have an international element, making it a global problem with significant cross-border activity.
These initiatives under the TSI will allow the UK and India to shape the future of advanced communication and AI technologies not just domestically, but across the world.
Lt. Gen. Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI, said, “For India, the next phase of connectivity must be intelligent, secure, resilient and citizen-centric. Telecom networks will not only support AI workloads; they will increasingly become AI-enabled systems capable of optimising performance, strengthening security, improving service quality and protecting consumers from emerging digital risks. The MoU between COAI and the British High Commission reflects the importance of trusted international collaboration in shaping the future of digital connectivity.”
A Communications and AI panel discussion was held as a first formal collaboration between the UK and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), with representatives from industry, the Indian Government and the British High Commission. Attendees included the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the Department of Telecommunications, Vodaphone, Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel.
The UK Government is focused on reducing crime and boosting economic growth. Fraud against individuals and business is the largest reported crime type in England and Wales and costs the economy £14.4 billion in 2023-2024.
The UK has committed to investing over £250 million between 2026 and 2029 to deliver a new Fraud Strategy, aimed at combatting fraud against individuals and businesses. This includes a new Online Crime Centre launched in April this year which will bring together specialists from the government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, mobile networks and major tech firms to drive co-ordinated action against fraud, a Telecoms Fraud Charter driving industry adoption of AI, and a new Report Fraud service.
“Under the 2024 Technology Security Initiative (TSI) we are developing the UK-India Connectivity and Innovation Centre and the UK-India Joint Centre for AI,” said the British High Commission release. Fiinews.com
