In an interview with TimesTech, Sooraj Vasudevan, Founder & CEO of Calculus Networks, shared insights on the company’s strategic entry into East Africa in collaboration with Clouds Media Group. He highlighted initiatives like launching the region’s first Cybersecurity Operations Center, cloud-native data centers, e-SIM services, and youth upskilling programs—all aligned with India’s “Make in India, Make for the World” vision to drive secure and inclusive digital growth.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: Calculus Networks is entering East Africa in partnership with Clouds Media Group to transform the digital landscape. What motivated this collaboration, and how does it align with India’s “Make in India, Make for the World” vision?
Sooraj: The strategic partnership between Calculus Networks and Clouds Media Group is driven by a shared vision to accelerate East Africa’s digital transformation by leveraging cutting-edge technology, localized expertise, and global innovation. Clouds Media Group, with its deep cultural and media influence, complements Calculus’ robust portfolio of cybersecurity, AI-powered analytics, secure networking, and telecom solutions. Together, we aim to establish East Africa as a regional digital hub by bridging the digital divide, enabling smarter infrastructure, and empowering businesses and governments to thrive in the digital economy.
This collaboration aligns seamlessly with India’s Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi initiative “Make in India, make for the world” as Calculus leverages its world-class R&D and engineering capabilities developed in India to address global challenges. By exporting proven, India-built technologies and adapting them for local requirements, we are supporting East Africa’s transition to a robust digital economy. This initiative demonstrates Calculus’ strategic commitment to expanding its global footprint, driving innovation, and creating a lasting socio-economic impact by blending global best practices with regional strengths.
TimesTech: The establishment of East Africa’s first regional Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) is a major milestone. How will this CSOC support the public and private sectors in building cyber resilience?
Sooraj: The launch of East Africa’s first regional CSOC, developed by Calculus Networks, is a landmark initiative aimed at providing continuous, real-time cybersecurity monitoring and response capabilities to organizations across the region. Powered by AI-driven analytics, machine learning, and advanced threat intelligence platforms, the CSOC will proactively detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats 24/7×365, reducing the risk of operational disruptions and data breaches.
For the public sector, the CSOC will play a critical role in protecting national infrastructure, securing e-governance platforms, and ensuring data sovereignty, thereby building public trust and resilience against global cyber threats. In the private sector, enterprises will benefit from end-to-end risk visibility, compliance assurance with international standards, and scalable security operations tailored to their industry-specific needs.
This CSOC is not just a defensive measure but also a catalyst for cyber awareness and skill development within East Africa. By fostering local talent and combining it with Calculus’ international expertise, the CSOC will establish a secure, future-ready digital environment that underpins economic growth and digital innovation across both government and commercial ecosystems.
TimesTech: Data sovereignty and secure infrastructure are critical in today’s digital age. How will your cloud-native datacenters and AI-powered solutions support smart media, e-governance, and enterprise services in the region?
Sooraj: Calculus’ cloud-native data centers are designed to deliver secure, scalable, and high-performance infrastructures that ensure data sovereignty and compliance with global regulations. These facilities integrate AI-powered analytics, automation, and real-time monitoring, enabling seamless data handling while maintaining robust protection against cyber threats.
For smart media, our infrastructure will provide secure, low-latency content delivery, real-time streaming analytics, and intellectual property protection, enabling digital media companies like Clouds Media Group to expand their reach with confidence. For e-governance, Calculus’ solutions will offer resilient hosting environments for citizen-centric services, digital identity programs, and national e-services, ensuring uninterrupted operations and data integrity.
Enterprise customers will benefit from predictive AI models that enhance decision-making, automate threat responses, and optimize operational efficiency. Our approach combines edge computing with hybrid cloud strategies, ensuring flexibility, cost efficiency, and security. By integrating these capabilities, Calculus is positioning East Africa as a regional hub for digital innovation, creating an environment where governments, businesses, and media platforms can thrive while maintaining control over their critical data assets.
TimesTech: A key highlight of this initiative is the upskilling of 10,000+ East African youth in cybersecurity, AI, digital media, and telecom. What’s the roadmap and impact you envision from this digital literacy mission?
Sooraj: Calculus is deeply committed to building the next generation of digital leaders in East Africa through a comprehensive upskilling and capacity-building initiative targeting over 10,000 young professionals. The roadmap includes structured training programs in cybersecurity, AI, digital media, and telecom, delivered through blended learning models, hands-on labs, and mentorship programs supported by global experts.
We are collaborating with local universities, government agencies, and private-sector partners to ensure alignment with regional workforce needs and to create a sustainable pipeline of highly skilled talent. The program will not only focus on technical proficiency but also emphasize entrepreneurship, innovation, and problem-solving skills, empowering youth to launch startups or contribute to the growing digital ecosystem.
The long-term impact of this initiative will be profound. It will strengthen the region’s digital infrastructure by creating a skilled workforce, reduce reliance on imported expertise, and drive inclusive economic growth. This mission underscores Calculus’ belief that digital literacy and local talent development are fundamental pillars of sustainable innovation and cybersecurity resilience in emerging markets.
TimesTech: Could you elaborate on the role Calculus will play in rolling out secure telecom messaging, e-SIM based services, and disaster recovery solutions across East Africa?
Sooraj: Calculus will play a strategic role in modernizing telecom infrastructures across East Africa by introducing secure, scalable, and future-ready solutions. Our expertise in telecom and networking allows us to deliver secure telecom messaging systems, designed with advanced encryption protocols to ensure data integrity and confidentiality for both enterprise and government communications.
Additionally, we will lead the deployment of e-SIM-based services, enabling seamless connectivity for mobile devices, IoT platforms, and cross-border communications. This will not only simplify user experiences but also create opportunities for IoT innovation and smart city deployments, aligning with the region’s digital transformation goals.
Disaster recovery is another critical focus area. Through cloud-native disaster recovery and business continuity solutions, we will ensure that essential services remain operational during cyber incidents, natural disasters, or technical failures. By leveraging AI-powered failover and predictive analytics, Calculus will help organizations build resilient, high-availability infrastructures.
These initiatives underscore our commitment to delivering next-generation telecom solutions, enabling East Africa to compete globally while ensuring the security and continuity of critical services.
TimesTech: With a presence in regions like India, USA, UAE, Mexico, and KSA, how is Calculus leveraging its global expertise to address the unique technological needs and opportunities in emerging African markets?
Sooraj: Calculus leverages its global presence and proven experience across highly dynamic markets to tailor solutions that address Africa’s unique digital and technological challenges. Having successfully delivered cybersecurity, secure SD-WAN & SASE, AI-powered automation, and telecom services in regions with complex regulatory and operational landscapes, we bring a playbook of best practices and innovation to the African continent.
Our strategy follows a local-first, global-best approach. We partner with regional leaders like Clouds Media Group to ensure cultural relevance, while introducing globally tested architectures and solutions. This includes building scalable infrastructures, delivering high-performance networks, and implementing advanced threat detection systems, all customized to match Africa’s connectivity and security requirements.
Moreover, our global alliances with leading technology providers empower us to integrate cutting-edge solutions seamlessly and cost-effectively. By combining global expertise with local talent development, Calculus is not just enabling digital adoption but also laying the foundation for East Africa to emerge as a competitive digital economy. Our mission is to ensure secure, inclusive, and sustainable digital growth for the region.
