India, May 18 -- Shortly after Indian jets fired cruise missiles at terror targets deep inside Pakistan to launch Operation Sindoor on May 7, officials in Delhi mobilised for a parallel battle in the digital realm. Government cyber teams tripled in size overnight to counter what became an unprecedented flood of disinformation-including sophisticated deepfakes- while simultaneously coordinating cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, particularly within the financial sector.

For the first time, senior officials have revealed to HT the full digital dimension of the four-day conflict, which the government now classifies as India's first experience with "war in the age of social media." The measures included a flurry of near-immediate tak...