Hyderabad, July 10: The Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI), in association with Hyderabad City Police and Protiviti India as Knowledge Partner, organised a National Round Table on Digital Trust & Citizen Protection at Federation House, Hyderabad, on Friday.
The event was formally inaugurated by Sri V.C. Sajjanar, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City, in the presence of Sri R. Ravi Kumar, President, FTCCI; Sri K.K. Maheshwari, Senior Vice President, FTCCI; Sri Srinivas Garimella, Vice President, FTCCI; Sri Sayantan Bose, Managing Director, Clients & Markets, Protiviti India; and Sri V. Aravind Babu, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crimes), Hyderabad City Police, Sangeeta, Director, FTCCI.
Held under the theme “Protecting Citizens from Fear-Driven and Greed-Driven Digital Frauds,” the round table brought together senior police officials, banking experts, cybersecurity specialists, telecom professionals, legal experts, policymakers, industry leaders and citizens to deliberate on the rapidly evolving digital fraud landscape and recommend practical measures to strengthen digital trust and citizen protection.
Delivering the keynote address, Sri V.C. Sajjanar, IPS, said that mule accounts and ghost SIMs are the lifeline of cybercrime networks and must be eliminated through coordinated action by banks, telecom operators, regulators and law enforcement agencies.
He remarked that the country should aspire to see a day when a bank can proudly display a board stating, “This Bank Has No Mule Accounts.”
Emphasising the importance of swift reporting, he urged citizens to remember 1930, the National Cyber Crime Helpline Number, describing it as the “golden hour” lifeline for cybercrime victims.
“The faster a victim reports a fraud, the greater the chances of freezing and recovering the money,” he said.
Sajjanar observed that cybercrimes are among the most organised forms of crime anywhere in the world, operating across jurisdictions and leveraging technology, social engineering and sophisticated fraud mechanisms to target unsuspecting citizens.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, he noted that Hyderabad City alone is losing nearly ₹1 crore every day to cyber frauds, underlining the urgent need for collective action.
“We need to address these issues holistically. Law enforcement agencies, banks, telecom companies, technology providers, educational institutions, industry bodies and citizens must work together to build a secure digital ecosystem,” he said.
Calling awareness, the most powerful weapon against cyber fraud, Sajjanar stated: “The most important aspect in combating cybercrime is creating awareness. Every citizen should take an oath that ‘I will not fall prey to cyber fraudsters.’ Prevention through awareness is far more effective than recovery after a fraud has occurred.”
He was addressing over 200 participants, including industry leaders, bankers, cybersecurity professionals, legal experts, government officials and citizens.
On the occasion, a Citizens’ Handbook on Digital Fraud Awareness and Prevention was released to help individuals identify, prevent and respond to various forms of online fraud.
Welcoming the gathering, Sri R. Ravi Kumar, President, FTCCI, said that while digital technologies have transformed lives and businesses, they have also created new vulnerabilities. He emphasised the need for collective action to build trust in the digital ecosystem and protect citizens from increasingly sophisticated scams.
Setting the context for the deliberations, Sri Pankaj Diwan, Co-Chair, FTCCI ICT Committee, noted that digital frauds are exploiting both fear and greed, making awareness, vigilance and stakeholder coordination more important than ever.
He said: “We must work together towards making India the safest place in the world for digital transactions and digital experiences. India has the unique distinction of being one of the world’s most digitally connected nations, recording nearly 25 billion digital financial transactions. At the same time, more than 10,000 cyber fraud cases are being reported every day. This challenge requires urgent and coordinated action.”
The program featured three focused sessions covering the State of Digital Fraud, Citizens Speak, and Industry Perspectives.
During the State of Digital Fraud session, experts including Sri V. Aravind Babu, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crimes); Sri P. Prashant Kumar, SBI Ombudsman; Sri Sayantan Bose, Managing Director – Clients & Markets, Protiviti India; and Sri Saurabh Kumar Sinha, DGM (CX), State Bank of India, discussed emerging fraud patterns, banking fraud risks, consumer grievances and preventive measures.
The Citizens Speak session enabled participants to share concerns, experiences and expectations regarding digital safety, online transactions and fraud prevention mechanisms.
The Industry Perspectives session featured insights from Sri Krishna Sastry Pendyala, cybersecurity expert; Sri Pradeep Reddy, Head – Legal & Regulatory, Airtel; Advocate Sai Sushanth, CEO, Sushanth IT Law Associates; and Sri Abdul Nayeem, Area Head – Credit Intelligence & Control Unit (CIC), HDFC Bank. The panel discussed regulatory challenges, telecom-related frauds, legal remedies, identity protection and emerging threats such as AI-enabled scams and deepfakes.
A major highlight of the event was the National Round Table Deliberations, where participants were divided into thematic groups to discuss: Human Behaviour & Digital Trust; Banking Transformation; Telecom & Digital Identity; Regulatory & Legislative Reforms and AI, Deepfakes & Future Fraud
The groups presented a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening digital resilience, enhancing citizen awareness, improving institutional coordination and creating a safer digital ecosystem.
Summarising the discussions, Dr. Shreeram Iyer, Member, FTCCI ICT Committee, observed that technology alone cannot solve the fraud challenge and that building digital trust requires a combination of awareness, accountability, regulation and innovation.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Sri K.K. Maheshwari, Senior Vice President, FTCCI.
The round table underscored the urgent need for a coordinated national effort involving government, law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, technology companies, industry bodies and citizens to combat digital frauds and strengthen trust in India’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
FTCCI announced that similar awareness program and stakeholder consultations would be conducted periodically to promote cyber safety and digital trust among citizens. FTCCI will also be releasing a White Paper at the end of the Round Table.