Okta identity security fabric expands in India

As enterprises in India accelerate artificial intelligence adoption, identity security and governance are emerging as critical gaps. Okta has announced in-country platform tenants to address data residency, resilience, and identity management challenges tied to AI-driven operations.

The move introduces local Okta Platform tenants hosted on AWS, designed to support organisations operating under strict regulatory and compliance requirements, particularly in sectors such as banking, financial services, insurance, and healthcare.

Addressing identity gaps in the AI era

Research cited by Okta indicates that while AI agent adoption is widespread, governance frameworks are lagging. A large majority of organisations are already using AI agents, yet only a small fraction have a mature strategy for managing non-human identities.

The Okta identity security fabric is positioned as a response to this imbalance. It provides a central control plane to manage identities across humans, applications, AI agents, and resources, helping enterprises maintain visibility and policy enforcement as AI becomes embedded in workflows.

Data residency and compliance focus

A key element of the India deployment is data residency. The local tenants allow identity data to be stored within India, aligning with organisational policies and regulatory expectations, including those shaped by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.

This approach is intended to support governance requirements while reducing dependency on cross-border data movement, an issue increasingly scrutinised by regulators and enterprises alike.

Securing human and machine identities

As AI agents take on operational roles, traditional perimeter-based security models are proving insufficient. The identity security fabric extends protection to both human users and machine identities, enabling consistent access controls and monitoring across environments.

According to Stephanie Barnett, VP Presales and Interim GM, Okta APJ, the platform is designed to apply the same level of security rigour to AI agents as it does to human users, helping organisations adopt AI without compromising trust or compliance.

Resilience and disaster recovery

The in-country platform also introduces enhanced disaster recovery capabilities through Okta’s business continuity services. These measures are aimed at maintaining identity services during regional infrastructure disruptions, ensuring operational continuity for customers.

Availability and market outlook

New and existing customers will be able to deploy the Okta Platform in the India region in early 2026. The expansion reflects a broader focus on supporting enterprises that are balancing rapid digital transformation with rising security and regulatory demands.

Shakeel Khan, RVP and Country Manager, Okta India, said that as AI agents reshape how work is done, securing every identity has become mission-critical. He noted that the identity security fabric is designed to help organisations in regulated sectors protect sensitive data and identities within India’s borders.

Identity as the foundation of AI adoption

The expansion of the Okta identity security fabric underscores a growing recognition that identity governance is foundational to enterprise AI. As non-human identities multiply, centralised identity control is becoming a prerequisite for secure and compliant digital transformation.