India Trains Officials in Cryptocurrency Forensics
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in India released its annual report, revealing that law enforcement and cybercrime officials were trained in cryptocurrency forensics and investigation during the financial year 2022–2023. The training focused on darknet investigations, digital footprints, and gathering evidence from open source and social media.
Specifically, the Narcotics Control Bureau trained 141 officers, while the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre trained over 2,800 cyber police officials. The training covered crypto forensics, investigations, and emerging technologies like anonymization networks and investigating misuse of mobile applications.
Blockchain Adoption in India
Amid preparations to combat potential crypto-related crimes, India is also exploring mainstream use cases for blockchain. Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), a state-run oil and gas company, recently launched a blockchain system to automate verification of purchase orders (POs).
HPCL collaborated with Zupple Labs to integrate blockchain-based digital credentialing technology into its purchase order system. This integration allows for automated verification of HPCL POs to external parties and generates tamper-evident verifiable POs.
Hot Take: India’s Approach to Crypto and Blockchain
The Indian government’s efforts to train law enforcement officials in cryptocurrency forensics demonstrate a proactive approach to addressing potential crypto-related crimes. At the same time, the implementation of blockchain technology by companies like HPCL shows a growing interest in leveraging the benefits of blockchain for streamlining processes and enhancing security.