New Delhi:

The memorandum of understanding in this regard was signed by ECIL technical director Wing Commander (Retired) K S Chandrasekhar and SETS executive director Dr Vijayraghavan.

With this tie-up, SETS will integrate its security-related software and also ensure the protection, surveillance, monitoring and certification of information Security for ECIL's smart card applications.

Says Chandrasekhar: "The tie-up with SETS completes the final circle and addresses all issues related to smart cards - from sourcing, integration to security - and we are all geared up to provide the state-of-the-art and highly secure smart card related solutions to the Indian industry."

Consortium to address smart card requirements
Earlier, ECIL had tied-up with Society for Integrated Circuit Technology and Applied Research (SITAR) for their application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) requirement. Together ECIL, SITAR and SETS have formed a consortium called Nascent (National Smart Card Consortium of Enterprises), which will address all smart card requirements in the country. The consortium is set to launch in July 2003.

ECIL will lead this consortium acting as a front end and providing total system solution. SITAR will provide the needed IC chip to this consortium catering to different applications. SETS will be working closely with SITAR and ECIL to implement security solutions, both at silicon and various network layers.

Says Chandrasekhar: "With the majority of smart card applications having to cater predominantly to government users, involving both sensitive and routine information, it was felt that a consortium of government agencies could meet these requirements much more efficiently than others. Nascent was thus born to address this very need."

SETS is a conglomeration of information security specialist agencies that guarantees the security of the information stored in the chip. The aims and objectives of the society are to promote various activities leading to enhanced electronic transactions through improved information security. Dr R Chidambaram, principle scientific advisor to the Indian government, is the current chairman of SETS.

SITAR is a government-owned society operated fabrication house with the registered office located in Delhi. SITAR is the only MIL-certified application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) foundry in India with the capability to provide indigenous semiconductor chip solution for national requirements. The Bangalore unit of SITAR deals with the silicon technologies.

ECIL, a pioneer of indigenous electronic revolution in India, under the department of atomic energy, was established in 1967. ECIL, with a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore, is renowned for its technological innovations with a strong R&D focus major systems design and integration house executing various turnkey projects of national importance.

A workforce of over 5,000 is instrumental in ECIL products and services catering to the requirements of defence, atomic energy, and telecom industries. With unique initiatives and dynamic leadership ECIL is contributing to the national infrastructure building and consolidating its position as a national asset.