India’s counter terror network undergoes major technological overhaul driven by automation.
According to sources, the shift is being reinforced through a national forensic modernisation programme worth Rs 4,800 crore. (File Photo)
New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has begun to recast India’s counter terror architecture with a turn toward artificial intelligence driven intelligence systems, big data fusion centres and a wide expansion of forensic and digital surveillance capabilities, senior security officials familiar with the changes have stated. Officials said the government is embedding technology at the core of counter terror operations, a shift driven by the rise of encrypted cross border communication, drone based networks, cryptocurrency enabled financing and online radicalisation.
As per official documents, the Multi Agency Centre (MAC), the national intelligence coordination platform under the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and its subsidiary units have been upgraded with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools that allow predictive analysis and real time correlation of inputs down to the district level. An official described the changes as the first major technological overhaul of the MAC system in years and a move toward pre-emptive intelligence rather than post-incident response.
According to official sources, the National Terror Database Fusion and Analysis Centre (NTDFAC) under the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a big data platform meant to pool intelligence, digital evidence and forensic leads from across the country, is now operational. Officials involved in the upgrade said the platform will allow agencies to cross reference patterns that previously remained scattered across case files. Alongside this, the Organized Crime Network Database (OCND) being built on the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) infrastructure will give State Anti Terror Squads (ATS) and central agencies a secure pipeline for sharing sensitive information.
Officials confirmed the deployment of an upgraded NATGRID tool known as GANDIVA, which they said is capable of analysing multiple data streams simultaneously and generating actionable leads. Similarly, the NIA’s investigation handbook for Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) cases, circulated last year, has begun to influence prosecution outcomes by standardising how evidence is collected, documented and presented across States. Officials said this standardisation was pending for years given the uneven quality of terror investigations nationwide.
According to sources, the shift is being reinforced through a national forensic modernisation programme worth Rs 4,800 crore. This includes eight new Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSL), sixteen new campuses of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and large-scale upgrades to State labs with DNA machines and mobile forensic vans.As per official documents, online radicalisation and the misuse of encrypted digital platforms are now key focus areas for the government. A large number of extremist URLs have been blocked under the Information Technology (IT) Act and cyber patrolling has been intensified. Officials involved in cyber monitoring said decentralised virtual cells and lone actor radicalisation patterns have forced agencies to treat the online space as a primary battleground rather than a peripheral threat.On border security, enhanced deployment of drones, thermal imagers, night vision instruments, electronic fencing and real time radar and optical systems has led to fewer infiltration attempts and higher drone interceptions along sensitive stretches. Officials said these gains stem from the rollout of the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), which has been expanded in phases across high risk segments. Multiple terror networks have been neutralised through coordinated operations involving these upgraded tools. Keeping lessons from the 26 11 Mumbai attack, the National Security Guard (NSG) has widened its operational role, conducting counter terror, counter hijack and metro rail intervention exercises in several cities and training State Counter Terror units under new agreements. Officials said the expansion is based on the increasing likelihood of multi-site urban targets that require fast, synchronised responses rather than isolated deployments.
The Centre has backed these structural changes with financial commitments. More than Rs 21,000 crore has been earmarked for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) infrastructure between 2021 and 2025 26. The CAPF include the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal. Officials said the modernisation of the CAPF and State Police, including new communication systems, surveillance tools and specialised training, is being undertaken to keep pace with emerging threats.Together, these measures reflect a shift toward an intelligence and evidence based counter terror posture driven by automation, data fusion, stronger forensic systems and faster inter agency coordination.
