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, marking a major step towards strengthening India’s maritime and coastal security.

The contract was formalised in the presence of Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, and Manoj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of BEL.

The NMDA Project is designed to establish a unified and integrated framework for the collation, analysis, and sharing of maritime data among a wide range of stakeholders, including national security and intelligence agencies. This initiative will significantly enhance situational awareness and facilitate real-time information exchange, thereby improving the country’s ability to respond to maritime threats and challenges.

A core component of the project involves the technological upgrade of the existing National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) Network to the more advanced NMDA Network. The new network will incorporate AI-enabled software solutions to boost decision-making capabilities and overall maritime surveillance.

Additionally, the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram, currently the nodal hub of the NC3I Network, will be transformed into a multi-agency NMDA Centre. This upgraded centre will host representatives from various national agencies, fostering enhanced coordination and operational synergy.

The NMDA Project will be executed on a turnkey basis and administered by the Indian Navy. This strategic move is expected to significantly improve India’s maritime surveillance infrastructure and bolster national security across the maritime domain.

Based On A PTI Report