UpdateBot at 14:24, 29 May 2022

2022-05-29T14:24:59Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}[[File:The National Command and Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) network.jpg|thumb|The National Command and Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) network. IMAC aggregates this data.]]
The [[Indian Navy|Indian Navy's]] '''Information Management and Analysis Centre''' (IMAC) was approved in 2012 and operationalized in 2014. Located in Gurugram, it is the nodal agency for [[Maritime transport|maritime]] [[data fusion]] that links information from the high seas and Indian's coastline and island territories.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Peri|first=Dinakar|date=2020-11-26|title=Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre to become national maritime domain awareness centre|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/navys-imac-to-become-national-maritime-domain-awareness-centre/article33186731.ece|access-date=2020-11-29|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

IMAC tracks only non-military shipping, whereas the Directorate of Naval Operations tracks military vessels on another classified network.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Kaushik|first=Krishn|date=2020-11-29|title=Explained: Coastal security, after 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/coastal-security-imac-26-11-mumbai-terror-attack-7071100/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-29|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> A multi-agency center named as '''National Maritime Domain Awareness centre''' (NDMA centre) is also being considered.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

The Information Management and Analysis Centre was conceived after the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] which took place on 26 November 2008 and is also known as [[2008 Mumbai attacks|26/11]]. The terrorist attacks took place from the sea, being the first recorded act of maritime terrorism in India. In this attack, 10 terrorists from [[Lashkar-e-Taiba|Lashkar e Taiba]] used the sea route for their journey from Pakistan and infiltrated into Mumbai after hijacking an Indian fishing boat.
[[File:Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurates IMAC, Gurgaon (1).JPG|thumb|367x367px|Inauguration of Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 23 November 2014]]
The project was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council in 2012 at a cost of ₹450 crore and was inaugurated by the then Defence Minister, [[Manohar Parrikar]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coastal Security Network Must Ensure Zero Tolerance to Error: Parrikar|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=111697|access-date=2022-02-08|website=pib.gov.in}}</ref> It is the nodal centre of the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) Network, which was established to link 51 operational Centres of [[Indian Navy]] and the [[Indian Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] spread across the country’s coastline, including the island territories. The IMAC tracks vessels on the high seas and gets data from the coastal radars, white shipping agreements, [[Automatic identification system|Automatic Identification Systems]] (AIS) transponders fitted on merchant ships, air and traffic management system and global shipping databases.

== Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean region ==
The [[Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean region]] (IFC–IOR), was set up in the IMAC in 2018-2019, as a regional information coordination body, that coordinates with 21 partner countries and 22 multi-national agencies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=22 December 2018|title=Raksha Mantri Inaugurates Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)|url=http://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1557074|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-29|website=pib.gov.in}}</ref> The need to set up such a surveillance and information management system was felt following the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]].<ref name=":1" /> While most coordination is done virtually, liaison officers include those from United States, France, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom and Seychelles.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shukla|first=Ajai|author-link=Ajai Shukla|date=2021-06-23|title=To bolster security, Britain joins Indian Ocean monitoring hub in Gurgaon|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/to-bolster-security-britain-joins-indian-ocean-monitoring-hub-in-gurgaon-121062300015_1.html|access-date=2022-01-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|others=PTI|date=25 October 2021|title=Liaison officer from Seychelles posted at Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/liaison-officer-from-seychelles-posted-at-indian-navys-information-fusion-centre/articleshow/87263731.cms|access-date=2022-01-31}}</ref>

== Challenges ==
In 2020, reports emerged that even 12 years after the Mumbai attacks, around 60 percent (about 150,000) of small fishing boats lack an [[Automatic identification system|identification]] system.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Challenge to coastal security persists, 150,000 small boats still lack electronic identity|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/nov/26/challenge-to-coastal-security-persists-150000-small-boats-still-lack-electronic-identity-2228488.html|access-date=2020-11-29|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Integrated Coastal Surveillance System]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/ifc-ior/index.html Official website of Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean region (IFC–IOR)]

[[Category:Indian Navy]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 2014]]
[[Category:2014 establishments in India]]

Information Management and Analysis Centre - Revision history

UpdateBot at 14:24, 29 May 2022