Sterlite Tech bags Rs 35-bn contract to build Indian Navy's digital network

The project includes design, execution, operations and maintenance of the Navy's digital network

Mumbai-based Sterlite Technologies on Tuesday said it had been awarded a long-term contract to build and manage Indian Navy's next-gen digital network. 

The Rs 35-billion project includes design, execution, operations and maintenance of the Navy’s digital network.

In a note released on Tuesday, the company informed stock exchanges about having bagged the project, the advanced purchase order for which it had received in February this year. 

“This network will give the Indian Navy digital defence supremacy at par with the best naval forces in the world. The project includes the creation of an independent high-capacity end-to-end communications network, linking multiple Indian naval sites and India-administered islands. The project will include setting up of highly secure data centres and big data content delivery networks that are software-defined,” Sterlite Technologies said in its letter to stock exchanges.

This was the first time an integrated end-to-end digital network at such a scale was being built in India, empowering the Indian Navy to secure the country's borders till the farthest posts in India, said Sterlite Tech Group CEO Anand Agarwal. 

“Our technologies will enable the Indian Navy to ride new-age applications with advanced security solutions while bringing real-time situational awareness and faster decision-making. It will also position our Navy for future-readiness, preparing for network virtualisation, big data analytics and customised enterprise applications.”