Digital Silk Road Initiative (DSR) is a strategic program launched by China in 2015 as part of its Broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Its main objective is to develop and export digital infrastructure and to expand China’s influence in the digital and technological sphere across Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond. Read more about Digital Silk Road Initiative (DSR) below.

About Digital Silk Road Initiative (DSR)

• Launched by China in 2015.
• Digital Silk Road Initiative is a part or component of Broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• Main Objective – To expand and develop Digital and Technological infrastructures such as cellular networks, internet cables, data centers, cloud and fintech services, and e-commerce platforms across Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond.
• Main Focus areas include –
  • Telecommunication infrastructure (5G, fibre optics, satellites),
  • E-commerce,
  • Smart cities,
  • Digital currency,
  • Artificial intelligence (AI),
  • Big data, and
  • Cross-border digital connectivity.

Objectives of Digital Silk Road Initiative (DSR)

• China’s Global Tech Leadership
  • DSR aims to position China as a global leader in science and technology by developing advanced digital infrastructures such as 5G networks, broadband, cloud computing, AI, subsea cables and cross-border e-commerce across Belt and Road countries.
• Promote Chinese Tech Companies
  • DSR also promote Chinese tech companies like Huawei, ZTE, Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent as global leaders.
  • Foster Chinese companies (like Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent) as extensions of China’s economic and strategic interests in global markets, helping them dominate key sectors.
• Global Standards and Norms
  • DSR aim to establish norms in AI, cybersecurity, smart cities, and internet governance.
  • DSR actively shape global technology standards and policies to favour China’s interests.
  • Recipient countries adopting Chinese infrastructure are often encouraged to adopt Chinese standards.
• Dependency
  • DSR helps to build a Sino-centric digital ecosystem and decrease reliance on US-led tech infrastructure.
  • It build digital dependence of partner nations on China.
• International Cooperations
  • DSR encourage fintech, e-payments, and digital currency adoption.
  • DSR helps to create new markets for Chinese digital goods and services.
  • It encourage joint technology projects, research, and people-to-people exchanges across science and innovation, supporting China’s diplomatic goals.
  • It introduce smart city solutions, surveillance technology, and cross-border e-commerce platforms, integrating digital economies in partner countries.
  • It emphasis on Asia, Africa, Latin America where digital infrastructure gaps exist.

Features of Digital Silk Road Initiative (DSR)

1. Digital Infrastructure – Focuses on building next-generation telecommunications networks (including 4G/5G), optical fibre cables, undersea cables, data centers, satellite communication, and cloud computing facilities in partner countries.
2. Promotion of Chinese Tech Companies – Helps to promote Chinese tech giants (such as Huawei, ZTE, Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu) into global markets and help dominate key sectors.
3. Digital Ecosystem – Creates a digital ecosystem that includes Telecommunication infrastructure (5G, fibre optics, satellites), E-commerce, Smart cities, Digital currency, Artificial intelligence (AI), Big data, and Cross-border digital connectivity.
4. Innovations and AI – Heavy investment in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, blockchain, and nanotechnology.
5. Standards and Norms – Actively shape global technology standards and policies to favour China’s interests and often encourage recipient countries to adopt Chinese standards for digital and technological systems.
6. Global South Focus – Main emphasis on Asia, Africa, Latin America where digital infrastructure gaps exist.
7. Capacity Building – China has signed numerous agreements and provided investments to many countries under the DSR like training, digital literacy, scholarships in partner countries, with a significant number of BRI countries participating in DSR collaborations.
8. Digitalisation, Data Centers and Cyber Sovereignty – DSR promotes China’s state-centric model of internet governance, emphasizing cyber sovereignty and the export of surveillance, censorship, and cyber monitoring technology.
9. Digital Dependency on China – DSR help to build digital dependency of partner countries on China and build a Sino-centric digital ecosystem and decrease reliance on US-led tech infrastructure.

Challenges for India regarding Digital Silk Road Initiative

• Cybersecurity Risks
  • Chinese technology exports can threaten India’s digital security, potentially exposing sensitive data to breaches and surveillance.
  • Chinese digital infrastructure (5G, cables, surveillance systems) could be used for cyber-espionage and data harvesting.
• India’s dependency on China
  • As India relies heavily on Chinese hardware risking supply chain vulnerabilities and economic dependence.
  • Indian IT, telecom, and fintech firms may face tough competition from heavily subsidized Chinese firms abroad.
• Strategic Concerns
  • As India has refused to join BRI (and by extension DSR) due to sovereignty concerns over CPEC. This keeps India out of major digital connectivity projects across Asia and Africa.
  • DSR projects in South Asia (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives) increase China’s digital footprint, reducing India’s strategic space.
• Limited Control over Tech Standards
  • As Chinese tech standards become widely adopted in the region, India could lose opportunities to set its own protocols and standards for digital infrastructure.
  • China, through DSR, seeks to influence global norms on AI, internet governance, cybersecurity.
• Weak Domestic Manufacturing Capacity
  • Overdependence on Chinese imports instead of building robust local manufacturing could perpetuate dependence and limit India’s ability to capitalize on future technology transitions.
• Lack of Regional Integration
  • India’s slower development of cross-border digital projects and lack of strategic bundling of security and economic policies may allow China’s DSR to fill the vacuum and set regional agendas.

Way Forward

• India must invest heavily in indigenous digital infrastructure, R&D in emerging tech (AI, 5G, quantum computing), and foster the growth of domestic tech companies.
• Collaborate with like-minded countries (US, Japan, Australia, EU) to develop secure, transparent, and interoperable digital platforms.
• Pace in development of cross-border digital projects and strategic bundling of security and economic policies.
• Foster growth of exports and robust domestic manufacturing rather than Overreliance on China’s imports.
• Emphasis on digital India, digitalisation and growth of digital infrastructures (5G, cables, surveillance systems, subsea cables).
• Implement robust data governance frameworks, cybersecurity laws, and privacy regulations to protect national interests and user data within and beyond India borders.
• Step up regional digital cooperation, invest in cross-border digital and tech infrastructure projects with neighbouring countries especially Asia, Africa and Latin America.
• Encourage and Develop a supportive ecosystem for tech startups.
• India must strengthen intellectual property protection to build world-class digital enterprises.