Israeli surveillance systems, supposed to be the best in the world, failed to detect the recent attack by Hamas. This has raised doubts about the system’s reliability. Indian companies and government planning to source surveillance systems from Israel may now have to reconsider their plans.

“Generally, Israelis have very good capabilities and their systems are supposed to be dependable. It was surprising how they failed. Similar to the US intelligence failure on 9/11,” said an official of a large company that deals with surveillance.

Agreeing with the company official, Kumar Avijit, Practice Director, Everest Group, a global research firm, said considering the recent shortcomings of Israeli tech in confrontations with Hamas, nations like India, that are investing or considering the acquisition of similar technologies, might reconsider their stance. The unanticipated challenges faced by Israel might provoke doubts regarding the dependability and efficiency of such systems in genuine combat situations,

Even with its advanced intelligence and monitoring infrastructure, Israel could not avert the unexpected onslaughts. Simple techniques such as bulldozers and armed paragliders enabled Hamas militants to overcome the Gaza security barrier. Moreover, the Iron Dome missile defence was challenged by rocket volleys. Despite employing a mix of drones, cameras, and cyber monitoring, Israel found it challenging to counteract Hamas’ manoeuvres. The overwhelming number of rockets launched by Hamas, combined with infiltration using their militants, underscored a noticeable technological disparity during these events, Avijit told businessline.

Simultaneously, India has been bolstering its association with Israel, focusing primarily on defence and monitoring collaborations. Early this year, both nations ratified a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) emphasising collaboration on Maritime Patrol Radar during the Aero India 2023 event held in Bengaluru. Further, India’s acquisition of armed drones from Israel in a deal estimated at $400 million underscores the evolving defence and intelligence alliance between them.

Cybersecurity

The conflict has reverberated across Israel’s tech landscape. The mobilisation of reserve troops, many of whom play integral roles in cybersecurity companies, has created an immediate resource gap. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) veterans, who established many of these start-ups, have been deployed on the battlefield. The sudden staffing shift has caused internal R&D and engineering delays, hampering cybersecurity innovation and project timelines. Looking ahead, the ramifications could manifest more significantly.

Advantage India

As an alternative, India remains a talent market for niche cybersecurity skills. The long-term nature of uncertainties from the Israel-Hamas war will benefit India, as these large cybersecurity technology providers will look to shift their innovation and R&D centres outside Israel; a few already have good presence in the India market.

There are 1,200-plus cybersecurity start-ups, according to Tracxn. A large number are challenging market leaders in specific cybersecurity segments such as eMudhara (competes with Docusign in e-signature category) and QuickHeal (a global antivirus company). Keeping the growth mindset of the cybersecurity venture capitalist, Indian start-ups might be positioned to tap the opportunity arising out of the war situation, he said.

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