Tech giants welcome TRAI’s move to float consultation paper on cloud computing

Cloud computing has garnered immense traction in last few years, with enterprises lapping at it for internal, as well as external data storage. In this regard, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) moves to float a consultation paper on cloud computing is being hailed as a positive move by multinational tech companies.

"A strong technology infrastructure that harnesses the power of global technology innovations is crucial for India's growth," said a Microsoft India spokesperson. "In this spirit, the proposal set forth by TRAI is progressive, as clear regulatory policies will enhance cloud adoption in India across sectors and directly contribute to the country's digital ambition."

The paper, floated on June 10, covers a broad spectrum of issues related to cloud computing, seeks to define specific policies, systems and processes for information governance framework in cloud computing. The paper also covers the perspective of lawful interception, even if it is hosted in a foreign country. Licensing of cloud service providers is also one of the discussion points of the paper. Keeping in mind the Make-in-India campaign, the paper will also look to clarify on rules of data localisation.

The industry has for long been demanding the regulators to etch guidelines for cloud usage, as the software gains prevalence as a service model, but India has had no clearly defined policy for cloud computing as yet. Several other countries such as UK, Australia, and Japan have a separate legislation that deals with cloud computing to combat legal issues pertaining to privacy and confidentiality.