Hyderabad: NTCPWC, IIT-M sign MoU to develop VTS

Hyderabad:In a major development first of its kind in the country, the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) and the National Technology Centre for Ports Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) joined hands to develop an indigenous Vessel Traffic Software (VTS) to monitor maritime traffic.

The project will be led by(NTCPWC), a Centre of Excellence at IIT-M, that functions as the technology arm of the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. According to the IIT-M, the researchers are going to develop an (VTS) that will help monitor maritime traffic. This will cater to the increasing maritime traffic and help keep pace with global technological developments in the maritime domain.For this, the V O Chidambaranar (VOC) port trust in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), in Tamil Nadu which is one of the major ports in the country has entered into an MoU with the NTCPWC. Once developed, the indigenous software will help to monitor maritime traffic by the VOC port in Tamil Nadu.

The IIT-M said on Thursday that the project was envisaged initially as part of the Maritime Vision 2030 action plans. This software development project is part of a collaboration between IIT-M and VOC port trust in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, for which an MoU was signed recently. A VTS is required under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. This is a major step in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for building a 'Digital India' and using digital technologies to build 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat.' This software could eventually be used for monitoring maritime traffic in other ports across India.

TK Ramachandran, chairman of the VOCport trust, said, "VOC port is the first Indian major port of India to sign MoU with NTCPWC for development of VTS System. The development of an indigenous system by NTCPWC, as per VOC port's requirement, instead of relying on proprietary and costly foreign-made software solutions, will be a game-changer in Indian maritime industry."

The MoU was signed recently by Capt. Pravin K Singh, deputy conservator, VOC port trust, and Prof K Murali, professor in-charge, NTCPWC-IIT Madras, in the presence of TK Ramachandran, chairman, VOC port trust, Bimal Kumar Jha, deputy chairman of VOC port trust and Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT-M, besides other senior officials of the port and NTCPWC.

Speaking about benefits to the Indian maritime sector from this collaboration, Prof K Murali, professor in-charge, NTCPWC-IIT-M, said, "The Indigenous VTS software system will open up the pathway for India to develop other indigenous technology solutions that severely depends on overseas solutions." Adding, "The cooperation will help to build partnerships with all other major ports for providing technology solutions to address their problems."