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In a major step towards enhancing India’s maritime security architecture, the Indian Navy has signed a major contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru, for the implementation of the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project.
The agreement was formalised in the presence of Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, and BEL Chairman and Managing Director Manoj Jain.
The NMDA Project marks a transformative shift in India’s approach to maritime and coastal surveillance. Designed as a turnkey initiative, the project aims to foster seamless integration, real-time information exchange, and a multi-agency collaborative environment, thereby strengthening India’s maritime situational awareness across coastal and oceanic domains.
Key Features of the NMDA Project
Under this partnership, BEL will serve as the lead integrator, providing state-of-the-art hardware and AI-enabled software solutions to overhaul the existing National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) network. The network will be upgraded and expanded to form a new, more robust NMDA framework.
At the core of this initiative is the transformation of the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram into a full-fledged National Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (NMDAC). This upgraded centre will host personnel from 15 agencies spanning seven key ministries — including Defence, Shipping, Petroleum, Fisheries, and others — to ensure seamless coordination and information sharing.
Expanding National Reach and International Cooperation
The NMDA project will link various maritime agencies, coastal states, and union territories for a unified operational picture of India’s vast coastline and surrounding seas. It will also integrate data from sectors such as commercial shipping and fisheries, improving response capabilities to maritime threats, search-and-rescue missions, and environmental incidents.
This initiative is particularly relevant in light of increasing geopolitical activity in the Indian Ocean Region, including growing Chinese naval presence. The upgraded framework will significantly enhance India’s ability to detect, assess, and respond to maritime security challenges in real time.
India is also continuing to strengthen Maritime Domain Awareness collaboration with international partners, advancing bilateral and multilateral agreements to share information and conduct joint maritime monitoring operations.
India is also continuing to strengthen Maritime Domain Awareness collaboration with international partners, advancing bilateral and multilateral agreements to share information and conduct joint maritime monitoring operations.
A National Security Milestone
The NMDA project represents one of the most comprehensive efforts by India to unify and modernise its maritime domain awareness systems. By incorporating AI and integrating diverse stakeholders under one roof, the initiative signals a shift towards a more proactive, tech-enabled, and collaborative national security posture.
Team BharatShakti
