New Delhi: In what could give a decisive thrust to the government’s indigenization programme, the armed forces and the railways may consider acquiring satellite communications-driven handheld devices jointly produced by two Indian companies, funded by the Department of Telecommunications under the DCI Scheme, shortly.
The first lot of these PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) devices will be manufactured by Elena Geo Systems, a Bengaluru-based Space Technology Company. The PNT device will house a 5G mobile phone, NavIC chip, and its adapter and receiver to communicate with the NavIC satellite. The 5G mobile phone used as part of the PNT device is manufactured by Optimus Logics, a Bengaluru-based company under the brand ‘Rhino’. Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi launched the 5G Rhino device on August 15, 2022.
Considering the growing requirement of different government and private organizations, Elena has placed an initial order for 1,000 5G Rhino phones. Optimus will supply these handsets to Elena, which will then embed the chip in a small adapter fixed externally to the devices whose form factor is that of any 6+ inch mobile phone.
Elena’s NavIC chip enables “very accurate” positioning, navigation and timing applications and could replace the widely-used American Global Positioning System (GPS). Elena’s PNT handheld device provides accurate location and navigation coordinates in high altitudes where neither Google Maps nor GPS functions.
“We have had some initial talks with the armed forces, telecom ministry and the Indian Railways. They have shown great interest in Elena’s PNT handheld device with tremendous operational use. The handheld device can also be used during the Amarnath and Char Dham yantras, where an app can track pilgrims’ locations easily. This does not require an active internet connection,” said Elena Geo Systems, Founder and Chief Technology Officer Lieutenant Colonel (retd) V S Velan.
He said, “These devices will be useful during disaster management, railway track surveillance and high altitude emergencies. The NavIC chip performs efficiently under extreme weather conditions and across land, water and air”.
The encouragement for manufacturing PNT devices came in September 2019 from the Ministry of Defence, which felt the need to develop an indigenous product that would suit the requirements of the Indian armed forces.
“There is a requirement within the armed forces for three lakh handheld devices that can perform PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) functions which till now is being fulfilled by other Android devices that carry Chinese-made (Beidu) chips. Besides, there is a requirement for three lakh handheld devices in the paramilitary forces under counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations,” Lt Col Velan said.
Where there are no mobile towers in places like forests, remote areas, deep into the desert, or tracking canals, this device will continue to give accurate locations.
