Authors - Devanjan Khuntia, Anirban Chowdhury, Subhra Chakraborty Abstract - Cybercrime poses a significant threat to India’s business environment, disrupting economic ecosystems, revenue growth, innovation, and employee well-being. As digital adoption accelerates, sectors like banking, e-commerce, and manufacturing face escalating vulnerabilities. This study analyses cyber crime’s multifaceted impact, revealing projected losses of ₹20,000 crore in 2025, with banking (₹8,200 crore) and retail (₹5,800 crore) hardest hit. Beyond financial damage, attacks erode trust, delay deliveries (30% of manufacturers), and slow AI/cloud adoption (40%). Intellectual property theft affects 22% of firms, while SMEs struggle with weak defences (73% prioritize cybersecurity). Employees face data breaches (32% via PUPs) and stress (45%). The paper advocates for stronger policies (e.g., enhancing I4C), AI-driven security, and workforce training to build resilience. A holistic approach—combining regulation, public-private collaboration, and awareness—is critical to safeguarding India’s digital economy.
