Minister of State for External Affairs, V. K. Singh on Monday said the need for user-oriented technological solutions is crucial for securing the country's borders.

Close interface of the manufacturers of border surveillance systems with the users was critical to enable border security forces to identify, delay and disrupt infiltration, Singh said, while inaugurating the 'Smart Border Management 2018' conference organised by FICCI  in collaboration with India Foundation.

Singh said in view of the uniqueness of borders in terms of the variety of terrain and climatic differences, it was imperative to have in place systems that required minimal maintenance and were easy to handle.

In addition, technology should have reliable and robust alarm systems to reduce the response time for counter-measures, he emphasised.  

In this context, he suggested that user core groups need to be constituted to interact with manufacturers of border management technological systems to build customised solutions.

It is noteworthy that the Smart Border Management conference coincided with the launch of two pilot projects in Jammu by Union Home Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh, under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management Solution (CIBMS).

Gautam Nanda, Associate Partner, BDO India, said that big data technology and services provided the decision-makers with powerful information. The market for such technology and services was estimated to grow at a CAGR of 22% from 2015 to 2020 and reach $58.9 billion in 2020.

Rahul Chaudhry, Chair, FICCI Homeland Security Committee, stressed the need for looking at technology of today and the future needs in order to meet the country's requirements. Border management, he said, was multi-dimensional and highlighted the critical role of big data and predictive analytics in tackling border infiltration.

Major General Dhruv C. Katoch, Director, India Foundation, underscored the importance of taking on board the concerns of those living in and around the borders and suggested that sarpanches of border villages should be co-opted as members of border management groups.