FICCI, December 16

Mr G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Govt of India, today called for integrating new technology and infrastructure to ensure a safe and smart border management system.

Speaking at ‘Smart Border Management – 2019’ organized by FICCI, jointly with India Foundation on the theme ‘Contribution of Smart Border Towards $5 Trillion Economy’, Mr Reddy said that the government has, for the first time, initiated a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) to cover areas where physical fencing is not feasible. “The recorded date and information can be shared with all intelligence and security forces,” said Mr Reddy.

“CIBMS includes integration of manpower, sensors, networks, intelligence, and command and control solutions to improve situational awareness at different levels of hierarchy to facilitate prompt and informed decisions and a quick response to emerging situations,” added Mr Reddy.

He said that Phase-1, a pilot project along a 61 km riverine border in Dhubri, Assam along the Indo-Bangladesh border, has been implemented. “After the evaluation of Phase-1, subsequently Phase-2 and Phase-3 of the CIBMS will be rolled out in Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and West Bengal,” Mr Reddy said.

He added that this technology plans to cover all non-visible gaps and vulnerable structures along the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders. “We are taking all precautionary measures,” said Mr Reddy.

Mr Sandip Somany, President, FICCI, said that the government needs to make appropriate arrangements considering the present security threat and possible future risks with respect to both land and coastal border security. “Securing and managing the borders has been a major challenge for any country as it requires to keep a balance between openness of borders for the legitimate movement of goods and people and borders’ non-porousness for all illegal activities. India being an increasingly globalized and service-oriented economy relies heavily on the movement of goods and people,” said Mr Somany.

Mr Rahul Chaudhry, Chair, FICCI Committee on Homeland Security, said, “Smart Border Management 2019 aims at improving India’s GDP growth, at the micro level with a larger Make in India opportunity and at the macro level by contributing to security.”

Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch, Director, India Foundation, said that a $5 trillion economy is an ambitious task set by the Prime Minister of India. Many initiatives are required to achieve this target and one amongst them is managing our borders in an efficient and effective manner.

Mr Vidur Gupta, Partner, EY, said that a secure and a well-managed border is key to country’s economy.

FICCI-EY report on ‘Smart Border Management – Contributing to a $5 Trillion Economy’ was also released during the event.

Pic-Sandip Somany, President, FICCI welcoming Mr G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Affairs