India, EU to address online radicalisation in regional conference

A regional conference focusing on online radicalisation will take place in New Delhi on August 21-22, hosted by India and the European Union.

This two-day EU-India Track 1.5 Conference will gather experts, policymakers, and law enforcement officials from South Asia and Europe to tackle the growing threat of extremist exploitation of digital platforms.

According to the EU’s Delegation to India, the conference aims to address both current and emerging threats related to online radicalisation. The event will explore strategies for countering digital extremism and fostering regional cooperation in line with the EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy. 

The EU, in collaboration with the Global Counter-Terrorism Council (GCTC) and the Ministry of External Affairs, is organizing the conference to enhance counter-terrorism dialogues and partnerships.

Expected outcomes include developing effective measures to counter violent extremism online and identifying collaborative opportunities between the EU, India, and neighbouring regions.

The conference will include participation from Indian officials and experts from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and various security agencies. European representatives will include top security practitioners from EU institutions and member states, as well as key agencies like Frontex and Europol.

Hervé Delphin, EU Ambassador to India, highlighted the importance of sharing expertise to combat online radicalisation, stressing that terrorism exploits digital platforms to spread its reach. KD Dewal, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) of the Ministry of External Affairs, reiterated India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and its commitment to collaborative efforts against terrorism and extremism.