Adani arm, Nelco, Hughes, BEL in race for Police Network upgrade

Mint

7 days ago

India's satellite-based police communication network, Polnet, is set for a major upgrade, and some of the country's biggest tech and defence players have spotted an opportunity.
Tata Group's Nelco, Adani's subsidiary Alpha Design Technologies, Hughes, Cisco, and Bharat Electronics Ltd are among the firms eyeing contracts to supply new satellite terminals worth about ₹100-200 crore for the network, two government officials and industry executives in the know said on the condition of anonymity.
Police Network or Polnet, a vital, secure communication system like the Internet for India's police and security forces, was launched in 2002. It connects police stations and security forces, including the ones guarding borders or handling emergencies, called the Central Armed Police Forces, all over India through messages, calls, and videos.
'Given the need to have a continuous bandwidth without any disruptions for public protection and disaster relief, the addition of more VSAT (very small aperture) terminals is necessary. The same is part of a broader plan to modernize and expand the nationwide POLNET satellite communication network, ensuring enhanced, more resilient, and continuous communication for India's police and security forces," a government official said, adding that the current plan is to procure about 1,000 more VSAT terminals and related equipment.
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VSAT is a small satellite-based communication system used to provide connectivity for police stations, ATMs, and disaster zones in remote areas where regular networks are not available or unreliable. Besides the static VSAT terminals, the government's plan is to also procure flyaway VSATs. These are portable satellite systems that can be easily transported and set up quickly by a couple of security personnel in an emergency, like a natural disaster, to get communication going fast.
Security requirements
This upgrade is also crucial for strengthening national security, as it will ensure uninterrupted communication for police and security forces during critical operations, especially in remote, border, and insurgency-affected areas.
The Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless (DCPW) under the home affairs ministry is leading the effort to enhance Polnet and other projects for secure communications within the armed forces.
In April, 10 companies, including Cisco, Hughes, Alpha Design, Nelco, Bharat Electronics, Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL) and Israel-based Gilat Satellite Networks, attended a pre-bid meeting to supply the required terminals and improve the network's connectivity, an industry executive said.
The government has extended the deadline to submit bids multiple times. The last date is now 28 August.
Similarly, a disaster recovery hub is also being established at the Interstate Police Wireless Transmitting Station in Banaswadi, Bengaluru. The plan is to ensure uninterrupted operations and continuity of communication during disasters and redundancy in case of an emergency at the main hub in Delhi, the second official quoted earlier said. The supplier of the VSAT terminals is required to provide necessary support to integrate this disaster recovery hub with the main hub, the person said.
Need for next-gen satellites
'From what we understand, Polnet is currently an established VSAT network operating on older C-band technology. While the current RFP (request for proposal) aims to expand this network, it is equally important for the authorities to consider modernising the system with next-generation solutions such as low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites or high-throughput satellites (HTS)," said Shivaji Chatterjee, chief executive and managing director of Hughes Communications India, a provider of geosynchronous and LEO satellite services in the country.
High-throughput satellites provide much faster and more efficient communication.
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Chatterjee underscored the critical role of satellite connectivity in enabling rapid deployment and communication in remote and Naxal-affected regions. He noted that Hughes has recently deployed portable, suitcase-based satellite terminals to support police operations in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. 'With advancements in LEO technology, we could soon see even more compact, briefcase or backpack-sized terminals ideally suited for on-the-ground field operations," he added.
Queries emailed to Adani Enterprises Ltd, Cisco, BEL, ECIL, and DCPW did not elicit a response till press time.
Nelco declined to comment on "matters that may involve unpublished price-sensitive or confidential information", according to a response by Ritesh Kamdar, company secretary & head–legal at the Tata Group company.
In 2020, the government introduced Polnet 2.0 for high-bandwidth satellite communication, video conferencing capabilities, multimedia support, and improved data sharing and command-control features across all police and paramilitary units in the country.
The Polnet currently runs on GSAT (geo-stationary satellite) using a C-band signal with 36 MHz bandwidth, according to the government's tender document to procure VSAT terminals. The satellite is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). C-Band frequencies are increasingly used to provide 5G mobile broadband services, offering better coverage and penetration, especially in suburban and rural areas.
'The government's move to modernize Polnet by upgrading terminals and establishing a disaster recovery hub is timely and essential," said Anil Prakash, director general of SatCom Industry Association (SIA-India). 'This overhaul can unlock a significant opportunity for India's satcom ecosystem, both in terms of hardware deployment and services."
Prakash said the government should prioritize adopting high-throughput satellite capacity, enable interoperability across networks, and consider private sector participation through more flexible procurement frameworks to make the most of this upgrade.
Ensuring end-to-end encryption, seamless scalability, and real-time connectivity will be key to building a future-ready communication infrastructure, he said.
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In 2002, BEL was selected by the government through a tender process to establish Polnet, according to a defence ministry release dated 3 May 2002. Adani's subsidiary Alpha Design had in 2019 won the contract to supply and install the initial batch of VSAT terminals for Polnet 2.0. The company, which is into design, development and production of defence electronics and avionics equipment, was acquired by Adani Defence Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, in 2018.