Defence ministry, TCIL ink Rs 588 cr deal for digital coast guard project

The Ministry of Defence has sealed a contract with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) to boost India's digital armed forces, said the ministry on Friday. The Rs 588.68-crore contract aims to advance India's digital defence capabilities through the acquisition of the digital coast guard (DCG) project under the Buy (Indian) category.

The DCG project initiative comes under the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and will chart a trajectory of technological advancement in the nation.

The scope of the pan-India project extends to encompass the construction of an advanced "Data Centre", the establishment of a resilient "Disaster Recovery Data Centre", amplification of connectivity across ICG sites, and the development of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Additionally, the project harnesses secured multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) connectivity, positioning itself at the forefront of defence technology. This digitisation will streamline logistical processes for the ministry saving significant resources and time.

At its essence, the DCG project heralds the creation of a Tier-III standard Data Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art technological capabilities. Serving as the nerve centre, this facility enables centralised monitoring and management of applications deployed by the ICG, ensuring vigilant oversight of critical IT assets.

The project is anticipated to generate approximately 150,000 man-days over a five-year period, fostering active participation from diverse sectors of Indian industries.

This collaboration comes weeks after President Draupadi Murmu announced that the government is working to realise the vision of "Ports for Prosperity" and "Ports for Progress". This is part of a larger vision to strengthen ports infrastructure and bolster the ICG.