It's not easy being an ethical hacker. But because Ankit Fadia has been there and done that, he knows what he's talking about. Right now, he is conducting workshops across the country, mostly in the smaller cities, guiding people on ways to protect themselves on social media sites.

"It is essential to work at the tier-2 and tier-3 city level as these are the people who are increasingly using the Internet," Fadia says. "The main concern that I have noticed is about how to protect oneself on social media sites. One obvious thing is they can link their Facebook and Twitter accounts to their mobile phones. So when someone tries to hack into them, you would get notified over your phone."

Fadia, a self-proclaimed ethical hacker, also hopes to spread Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concept of Digital India at the workshops. After all, training people at the grassroots level is an integral part of the project.

But it was his participation in the Digital India project that stirred a hornets' nest recently. When Modi was discussing it with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook in the US, Fadia was busy uploading pictures on the site, and stating that he had been appointed the brand ambassador of the Digital India project.

The news spread like wildfire - and, much to Fadia's surprise, the government issued a statement denying the appointment. "But I remained calm as I had the mail and the certificate from the government confirming my appointment," he says.

And quite possibly, that was the reason why, by the same evening, the government announced the names of four ambassadors for the project - with Fadia on the list. The other three were Satwat Jagwani, who topped the IIT entrance examination in 2015, Krati Tiwari, who stood first among the women, and writer and computer scientist Pranav Mistry.

So what was the brouhaha all about? Fadia explains.

"Mr Modi was at Silicon Valley and the media talked about the project. I was really excited about it. People on Facebook were busy changing their profile pictures. I too uploaded a few pictures of my appointment. I did not expect the ruckus that it created," he says.

But Fadia does tend to get embroiled in controversies. There was a mighty row when he claimed that he had hacked into the site of CHIP, the technology magazine, when he was a teenager. Even now, not everybody is convinced that he did so, and the magazine has denied it vociferously.

Not surprisingly, he has his share of critics on the Internet - many of whom describe him as a "charlatan". So, there were loud protests when he made his announcement about Digital India. But all this does not affect him, Fadia says.

"I did not apply for the job nor did I lobby for the post. I am also not getting paid for it. I guess many people had an eye on the post and are jealous. They are just taking out their frustration [on me]."

But the 30-year-old tech believes that there are good reasons why he has been put on the list.

"I have been in the field of technology for the last 15 years. I have created knowledge and have spread awareness about cyber security. I strongly believe that there can be no digital media without cyber security," he says. "My association with technology started as a hobby. Now it is my passion."

Indeed, he has been going places with it - literally. His work takes him to all parts of India, and across the world, he says. He had promised himself when he was a child that he would visit 100 countries - when he last counted, he had been to 111.

"Now I want to go to the remaining countries in the world. I love travelling and I am interested in the local cuisine and street food. Whenever I am in Calcutta I make a point to visit Benjarong, which serves wonderful Thai cuisine," he says.

With Digital India, he may get to travel some more. The project seeks to connect Indian citizens through technology, providing them with a host of online services. "You will be able to send email and documents to your clients, colleagues and also to companies without the fear of fraud. You would be spared the trouble of sending your signed document through a courier. Also you would be able to get appointments in hospitals," Fadia explains. In short, he adds, it will be all about having access to services without bureaucratic hassles.

How does Fadia expect to contribute to the project?

"I could do a lot of things," he says, pointing out that he will speak about Digital India at seminars and workshops that he participates in. "I can support and promote all the initiatives of the government through social media or through my personal network."

A prolific writer - he is the author of 18 books - Fadia says that he will speak about Digital India at his book launches, too. "I have launched a series of books called Stretch Your Technology comprising three volumes - Productivity, Email and Protect. During the launch in Hyderabad, I made it a point to talk about the Digital India project."

But isn't the Digital India too removed from the average Indian who has no access to electricity, forget the Internet?

"I completely disagree on that," he says. "It is very important to launch the project now. I guess it would percolate soon to the grassroots level and inspire people to know more about technology. It would tickle their curiosity."

Fadia, who studied at Delhi Public School, New Delhi, and later at Stanford, hosted a programme on MTV called What the Hack, which dealt with common queries on technology. In 2013, he had a show on YouTube called Geek On The Loose, which was again on technology.

Right now, though, his focus is on another medium. He is working on a novel, he says. "It would have a hacking element in it and also a love story," he says. Does he figure in the book? "Let's see," Fadia replies with a smile.