The Ministry of Electronics and IT has initiated an Indian Web Browser Development Challenge in New Delhi, aiming to create an indigenous web browser for global use, equipped with an integrated Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) India root certificate.
Indian Web Browser Development Challenge (IWBDC)
The government has announced a substantial cash prize of 3.4 crore rupees for developers achieving this feat. This challenge aligns with India’s aspiration to have its browser that meets international standards while safeguarding user data.
The browser’s trust in India’s Controller of Certifying Authorities will ensure secure digital signatures, including SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates, which guarantee secure and encrypted communication between a user’s web browser and a website’s server.
Indian Tech Start-ups, MSMEs, Companies, and LLPs registered under the Companies Act 2013 can participate, with a requirement for at least 51 percent shareholding by Indian citizens or persons of Indian origin.
Arvind Kumar, Controller of Certifying Authorities, stated that India’s rapid economic growth necessitates reducing dependency on international browsers and technologies.
The Executive Director of C-DAC, S D Sudarshan, emphasized the significance of this move in instilling confidence among the public and fostering entrepreneurship.
The open competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, encourages the design and development of an Indian Web Browser.
To learn more about the desired features, stages, and additional features to be incorporated into the browser for the challenge, check the IWBD site here.
Regarding the challenge, IWBDC site says,
‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ a key initiative of Government of India envisages the design, development, and manufacture of substantial sub-assemblies in India.
In line with this objective, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, is sponsoring this Open Challenge Competition in order to encourage the design, and development of an Indian Web Browser for major devices and platforms with required security features, plugin interfaces, supporting latest technologies based on industry standards, while catering to indigenous requirements.
The developed Indian Web Browser is required to have their own trust-stores, pre-loaded with CCA India Root Certificate, which is a self-signed certificate and is the top-most (root) certificate of the tree, that serves as a trust anchor.