Mumbai: In a major step to tackle the rising threat of cybercrime, the Maharashtra Government has established a Cyber Corporation in Navi Mumbai, which will serve as the state’s headquarters for fighting digital fraud. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the initiative on Friday at the Mumbai Tech Week 2025 summit, emphasizing the growing dominance of cybercrime in the country.
To provide swift assistance to victims, the State has also launched a dedicated cybercrime helpline — 1945. The Chief Minister revealed that two other states have shown interest in replicating Maharashtra’s model, although he did not disclose their names.
Gold Rate
Friday 28 Feb. 2025
“In the near future, traditional street crime will account for only 20-30% of all offenses, while cybercrime will dominate at 70%,” Fadnavis stated. He described the Cyber Corporation as India’s most advanced platform, integrating banks, non-banking financial institutions, and social media networks to track and prevent online fraud.
Surge in cyber fraud cases
The urgency behind this initiative is evident from the alarming rise in digital fraud cases across India. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banking frauds have surged fourfold in the past five years, reaching 36,075 cases in FY 2023-24. Frauds related to digital payments—via cards and internet banking — jumped from 2,677 in FY 2019-20 to 29,082 in FY 2023-24.
Mumbai’s IT exodus and a new vision
Fadnavis also reflected on the past missteps in Mumbai’s IT development, blaming inadequate infrastructure between 2009 and 2014 for the city losing out to Bengaluru and Hyderabad as major tech hubs. “The high cost of living made it unaffordable for IT companies to stay in Mumbai, forcing many startups to shift base. But we have been working to reverse this trend since 2014,” he said.
To boost Mumbai’s appeal for startups, the Maharashtra government is set to launch M-Hub, a state-of-the-art incubator offering plug-and-play spaces in Navi Mumbai. Fadnavis asserted that M-Hub would rival the startup ecosystems of Bengaluru and Hyderabad, reaffirming Maharashtra’s commitment to reclaiming its status as India’s top tech and innovation hub.
