In News:

The Indian Navy has signed a significant contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru for the implementation of the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project, a strategic initiative to strengthen India’s maritime and coastal security infrastructure.

Key Objectives and Scope

• Purpose: The NMDA Project aims to create a unified, real-time maritime surveillance and information-sharing framework to safeguard India's vast coastline and maritime interests.
• It seeks to enhance coordination among maritime stakeholders, including national agencies, coastal states, and union territories.

Major Components of the Project

• Upgrade of NC3I Network: The existing National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) Network will be upgraded to a more advanced NMDA Network.
• AI Integration: Artificial Intelligence-enabled software will be deployed to enable smart surveillance, automated threat detection, and informed decision-making.

Multi-Agency NMDA Centre

• The Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) at Gurugram — currently the nodal agency of the NC3I Network — will be transformed into a Multi-Agency NMDA Centre.
• The upgraded centre will include representatives from 15 national agencies across seven key ministries, such as Defence, Shipping, Petroleum, and Fisheries, ensuring seamless inter-agency coordination.

Operational and Strategic Benefits

• Integrated Maritime Picture: The system will link various stakeholders to provide a comprehensive operational view of India’s maritime domain.
• Enhanced Response: It will improve response mechanisms to maritime threats, search and rescue operations, environmental incidents, and other contingencies.
• Data Integration: Inputs from sectors such as commercial shipping and fisheries will be integrated into the system for improved situational awareness.

Execution and Administration

• The project will be implemented on a turnkey basis and administered by the Indian Navy.
• BEL will act as the lead system integrator, delivering both hardware and AI-enabled software solutions for the project.