Rosatom Subsidiary Signs Deal to Promote Security Subsystem Solutions for Indian Critical Infrastructure and Defense Sector

On June 21, Nikiret, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, finalized an agreement with Indian engineering services firm, CORE Energy Systems to promote its technical security equipment for nuclear power plants.  CORE Energy Systems would eventually purchase (and promote) equipment from the Russian firm to create integrated systems for a number of sensitive Indian sectors.  The systems reportedly constitute a group of technical protections that organize alarm security subsystems, monitor access to control and CCTV subsystems and perform warning functions will then be promoted by CORE Energy Systems.  Such an arrangement would reportedly give Nikiret access to areas, local networks, and secure locations where sensitive Indian information is being held.

Beyond providing security access to critical infrastructure, it has been claimed that this deal could result in Nikiret’s equipment and security systems and solutions being purchased and used in systems being used by the Indian defense sector.  CORE is currently seeking to buy shares in the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) project.  The CIBMS project will replace manual surveillance equipment and methods along the India-Pakistan border with electronic surveillance.  This deal with Nikiret will likely impact the role of CORE in the CIBMS project, which will start the bidding process in October 2018.

The deal comes in the same month that India and Russia signed a pact concerning the construction of the last two units of the Kundankulam nuclear power plant, which will be completed with Moscow’s help.