Indian Army Develops Encrypted Mobile Ecosystem “SAMBHAV”

The Indian Army has developed an “end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem” with instant connectivity, strengthening the country's Atmanirbhar drive. It has been named 'SAMBHAV' (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version). 'SAMBHAV' has been developed in collaboration with leading national centers of excellence from the academia and industry.

• Its development has significantly enhanced Indian defence capabilities. Furthermore, this achievement underscores Prime Minister Modi's "Atmanirbhar Bharat" commitment.

About Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version (SAMBHAV):

• 'SAMBHAV' is an indigenously developed secure, end-to-end mobile ecosystem. Which has been developed on 5G technology. 'SAMBHAV' has been developed to serve infrastructure and civil-military purposes. 'SAMBHAV' is developed on commercial cellular networks rather than private networks.

For what purpose was 'SAMBHAV' prepared?

• The development of 'SAMBHAV' technology aims to address the information security challenges faced by the Indian Army. Moreover, its creation will contribute to the establishment of a secure communication infrastructure. This system is equipped with “end-to-end security”. It incorporates state-of-the-art 5G technology.

Important for strategic scenarios:

• This system can play an especially important role in tactical scenarios where secure lines are a major issue. Multilayer encryption in the encrypted ecosystem ensures robust data security.

35,000 sets will be deployed by May 2024:

• This technology has been developed in line with the Government of India's vision of dual-use infrastructure and civil-military partnership.
• In its first rollout, there is a plan to deploy 35,000 sets in two phases. Out of which 2,500 sets will be deployed by January 15 and the remaining sets by May 31, 2024.

How will ‘SAMBHAV’ be helpful?

• There is always a risk of data leakage in mobile network communication.
• 'SAMBHAV' system technology strengthens the end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem.
• This system strengthens the fast connectivity eco-system on the go.
• For this, the Command Cyber Operations Support Wing (CCOSW) is being established which increases cyber security capability.
  • The CCOSWs are specialized units of the Indian Army that assist formations in carrying out mandated cyber security functions. 
• According to a report, six CCOSWs are being established for all commands. Additionally, specialized training will be provided to personnel involved in this initiative.