Navy, BEL sign contract for NMDA project to upgrade surveillance systems

The deal involves upgrading the existing National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) network to the NMDA network with AI-enabled software integration

The Indian Navy on Tuesday announced that it has signed a contract with Navratna defence public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru, for the implementation of the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) project, aimed at enhancing maritime and coastal security.

 

The deal involves upgrading the existing National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) Network to the NMDA Network, with the integration of artificial intelligence-enabled software.

 

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

 

“The project will bring in an integrated approach to data collation, analysis and information sharing amongst the various maritime stakeholders,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. 

 

 

As part of the project, the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram — currently the nodal centre of the NC3I Network — will be transformed into a multi-agency NMDA centre, with representatives from various national agencies.

 

“The project will be executed on a turnkey basis and will be administered by the Indian Navy,” the statement added.

 

Last month, BEL received orders worth over ₹3,000 crore, including two contracts valued at ₹2,323 crore from two major Indian shipbuilders — Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata. These deals include the supply of base and depot spares for missile systems installed aboard Indian naval ships. According to BEL, these components are vital for maintaining the operational readiness of key onboard systems.

 

Shares of BEL closed at ₹422.05 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday.