Strategic electronics parts under scanner

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

India is all set to launch a national mission to screen electronic components and software that lie at the core of nuclear, space and missile programmes, says a Deccan Herald report.

The mass sensitisation programme will be run by Electronic Corporation of India Ltd, a public sector undertaking in the department of atomic energy, in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai which provides technical support and did the groundwork for launching the screening programme.

“We are building a national capacity for mass sensitisation in which a standard rule book is being prepared. The importers of components and software will be asked to follow the standard operating procedure. In the future, we may develop a national facility to screen these components,” YS Mayya, chairman and managing director of ECIL said.

- Advertisement -

The genesis of the programme, spearheaded by R Chidambaram, principle scientific adviser to the Cabinet, lies in the fear of unknown import of Chinese malware in electronic hardware and software used in strategic electronics.

“In the US, for certain (strategic) applications routers made in other countries (read China) are not used. It has been prohibited by the government,” said Srikumar Banerjee, chairman Atomic Energy Commission.

Australian government too made it mandatory for the industry to use indigenous components in certain products.

“We are concerned about presence of malware in strategic systems. It is easy to introduce trap doors in embedded software, which can be exploited by others. Chips from abroad are areas of concerns,” Mayya said.

With example of Stuxnet fresh in mind and intelligence inputs suggesting Chinese emphasis on creating malware and hacker’s brigade, the government is not taking any chance.

Discovered in June 2010, Stuxnet is a computer worm that spreads to Microsoft Windows and is the first maleware that tamed industrial system. Though the source remains unknown till this date, one of the targets was Iranian nuclear programme. Teheran’s uranium enrichment infrastructure is understood to have been affected adversely by the Stuxnet.

The groundwork for the Indian programme was done by IIT Bombay, which also developed technology to manufacture secure routers in India. “Even though you cannot be 100 per cent sure about the presence of malware without source code, safety and security of foreign products are verified and validated through repeated testing,” said Ashwin Gumaste, James R Issac Chair professor at IITB.

Based on IITB technology, ECIL has produced a secured carrier ethernet transport router for nuclear, defence and space applications. With built-in security features and a fully Indian design, this development is significant in the context of global apprehensions about the vulnerabilities posed by ‘black box’ products, populating the information highways which carry vital and strategic data.

The strategic sector, however, would have to depend on imported components in the absence of an Indian chip fabrication facility. That’s where the screening programme would fit in.

- Advertisement -

Related Artcles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!

Exclusive

India, China Grow Amid First Global Cellular IoT Module Shipments Annual Decline

0
Several companies started local manufacturing in India. 4G Cat 1 bis emerged as the fastest-growing segment. Around 12% of the modules shipped in...

“More Chargers Provide Security And Confidence To Customers, Encouraging EV Adoption”

0
With an agenda to transform the EV industry, EarthtronEV has established 250+ charging stations on major highways across India. The company aims to interconnect...

5G RedCap To Transform IoT Module Shipments

0
Over 60% of IoT module shipments will originate from the Asian & Oceania region. Automotive sector is expected to be a significant driver. The...

Buzz

Montra Electric Boosts Amritsar’s Green Mobility with RAAHI Project

0
The initiative is a component of the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate, and Sustain (CITIIS) program, which falls under the auspices of the Ministry...

BYD Delays Vietnam EV Factory Plans

0
Vietnam's government announced in May that BYD plans to construct a facility for manufacturing and assembling electric cars in Phu Tho, a northern Vietnamese...
Keysight Technologies Pvt Ltd Logo

Keysight Acquires Spirent Communications For $1.46 billion, Outbids Rival Viavi Solutions

0
Keysight's offers 85.9% premium over Spirent's closing price on March 4, exceeding Viavi's 61.4% premium. Keysight expects new serviceable available market opportunities of...

Important Sectors

India, China Grow Amid First Global Cellular IoT Module Shipments Annual Decline

0
Several companies started local manufacturing in India. 4G Cat 1 bis emerged as the fastest-growing segment. Around 12% of the modules shipped in...

Montra Electric Boosts Amritsar’s Green Mobility with RAAHI Project

0
The initiative is a component of the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate, and Sustain (CITIIS) program, which falls under the auspices of the Ministry...

BYD Delays Vietnam EV Factory Plans

0
Vietnam's government announced in May that BYD plans to construct a facility for manufacturing and assembling electric cars in Phu Tho, a northern Vietnamese...
Keysight Technologies Pvt Ltd Logo

Keysight Acquires Spirent Communications For $1.46 billion, Outbids Rival Viavi Solutions

0
Keysight's offers 85.9% premium over Spirent's closing price on March 4, exceeding Viavi's 61.4% premium. Keysight expects new serviceable available market opportunities of...

Hyundai Motor Boosts EV Investment In Korea

0
The automaker stated that over half of the investment, amounting to 35.5 trillion won will be dedicated to new R&D infrastructure and EV assembly...

Manufacturing

BYD Delays Vietnam EV Factory Plans

0
Vietnam's government announced in May that BYD plans to construct a facility for manufacturing and assembling electric cars in Phu Tho, a northern Vietnamese...

JLR To Hire 250 Electrical Technicians For Future EVs

0
These new roles, part of a £15 billion investment, are in addition to 300 positions created last year by the British car maker. Jaguar Land...

Altmin India Partners With WMG To Advance Battery Tech

0
Altmin and WMG will collaborate to strengthen their global battery materials supply chain position by optimizing cathode materials and developing diverse cell designs across...

EVs To Cost Less Than Gas Vehicles by 2027, Says Gartner

0
Gartner predicts a faster decline in production costs compared to battery costs, which represent the most significant expense in an electric vehicle, accounting for...
MG

MG Motor To Set Up Battery Assembly Unit At Halol Facility

0
The company plans to investigate battery cell production in collaboration with external partners. Automaker MG Motor India is actively exploring the possibility of assembling and...