eMudhra to exit global SSL/TLS certificate business

eMudhra said its board approved a voluntary withdrawal from the global SSL/TLS certificate market after a recent incident drew scrutiny. The company said the move will not affect its enterprise PKI, eSign, identity and authentication services, or its India-focused digital trust operations.

Why it matters: - eMudhra is leaving a business line that contributed about 1% of global revenue, signaling a sharper focus on higher-value enterprise trust services. - The decision comes after a recent SSL/TLS incident drew outsized attention online, increasing reputational pressure on the company. - Customers using eMudhra SSL/TLS certificates will need a transition plan, but the company says replacement support will be provided at no cost.

What happened: - eMudhra Limited said its board decided to voluntarily withdraw from the global SSL/TLS certificate business. - Chairman V. Srinivasan said the company handled the recent incident by revoking the affected certificate authorities within 14 hours of discovery and disclosing the issue promptly. - No end-entity certificates were issued from the affected certificate authorities. - The company said its infrastructure was not compromised, no data was breached, and physical and logical security controls remained intact.

The details: - The global SSL/TLS business has become harder and more expensive to run because of rising data sovereignty and compliance requirements. - The business also faces pricing pressure, with some large entities offering SSL/TLS certificates free of cost. - eMudhra said those factors have reduced the business potential and return on investment compared with its broader revenue base. - The company said its G1 RSA roots will continue to serve customers during the transition. - eMudhra will work with browser programs and customers to complete the move. - Affected customers will be contacted and offered free replacement certificates through partners. - Revocation and certificate status services will continue until every issued certificate expires or is replaced. - The company will complete remaining commitments to browser root programs, including a full root-cause report. - eMudhra included a LinkedIn company page in its release.

Between the lines: - The board’s move suggests eMudhra sees SSL/TLS as strategically non-core, even as it remains important for the broader internet trust ecosystem. - The company is trying to contain customer disruption while signaling that the incident did not affect its other platforms. - eMudhra said the social media response created scrutiny disproportionate to SSL/TLS’s role in its overall business. - The exit also lets eMudhra concentrate resources on enterprise digital trust products where it says it can create more value.

What's next: - eMudhra will phase out the SSL/TLS business as current certificates expire or are replaced. - The company will keep supporting status checking and revocation services during the transition. - Core businesses including global digital signature certificates, eSign, enterprise PKI solutions, emSigner, SecurePass and emAS will continue operating normally. - eMudhra said its India operations and other trust services outside SSL/TLS are unaffected. - The company says it will keep serving banks, financial institutions, enterprises and governments across more than 35 countries with its broader digital trust portfolio.