Maharashtra opens Rs 800 crore centre to fight cybercrime

Maharashtra on Friday opened a Rs 800-crore cybercrime command and control centre where more than 150 cybercrime, forensics and technology experts will work to protect the state’s 130-million residents from digital fraud.

Located in Navi Mumbai, the facility, built by L&T Technology Services (LTTS) for the Maharashtra State Cyber Department, will serve as a central location to resolve cybercrime complaints from 50 districts.

A helpline number – 14407 – will be operational from October 15 for citizens and enterprises to lodge their grievances.

State deputy chief minister Devendra Phadnavis inaugurated the centre.

“This is the largest and one-of-its-kind cyber command centre which will integrate all silos into a comprehensive, end-to-end technology solution aimed at reducing response time to cybercrime,” Yashasvi Yadav, special inspector general of police, Maharashtra cyber department, told ET.

“We have hugely invested in 50 global forensic technologies, 17 threat intelligence tools, 13 cybersecurity tools leveraging AI and blockchain technologies,” he said. “Be it malware analysis, deepfake detection, cryptocurrency frauds, banking scams, eSIM swap…we are equipped to address everything under one roof.”

Yadav said the situation of cybercrime is grave and has evolved into an organised syndicate. Revenues from cybercrime globally were $6 trillion a year – twice the economy of India, he said. “…two years back in Jamtara, which is the hub of cybercrime activity in India, a helicopter was bought.”Abhishek Sinha, executive director at LTTS, said technology is instrumental for addressing cybercrime and the company is in discussion with other state governments to replicate a centre like this.

The Maharashtra cyber department is increasingly focusing on spreading awareness about new-age cybercrime such as digital arrest and virtual kidnapping, Yadav said.

“It is a boundary-less crime and I encourage every single state cyber security department to derive strength from a project like this,” he said.

The project was first passed by the Maharashtra assembly in 2018. “At that time the investment outlay had shot up to Rs 2,000 crore,” Yadav said. It picked up pace only in March 2024 when the tender was awarded to LTTS.