Maharashtra finance minister Ajit Pawar has proposed setting up of an artificial intelligence -powered “command control centre” to keep crimes in check in the Mumbai city.

While presenting the state budget on Monday (March 10), Pawar also said that the new command centre will also provide quick emergency responses and ensure effective public safety.

“(A) new ‘High-Tech Command Control Centre’ based on artificial intelligence will be established at the office of the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai to prevent crime in Mumbai, provide quick emergency responses, and ensure effective public safety,” Pawar said in his speech.

The Maharashtra FM also announced that the state is developing a strategy to leverage AI for giving a major impetus to the agriculture sector. In his speech, he said that the proposed policy, which will have a budgetary outlay of INR 500 Cr, will be deployed to deliver beneficial systems from governmental, semigovernmental, and private sectors to farmers.

Pawar also noted that 50,000 farmers, encompassing an area of 1 Lakh acres, will be benefitted during the first phase of the implementation of the initiative.

Additionally, the state government will establish the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Security Corporation (MCCSC) to strengthen resilience against cybercrimes. “The Maharashtra Cyber Crime Security Corporation will be established to supply expert manpower for cyber security,” Pawar added.

This comes days after reports first surfaced that Maharashtra Cyber Cell will transition into the Cyber Security Corporation. Post the transition, all corporate entities in Maharashtra will reportedly be required to undergo an annual cyber audit by government-approved firms to identify vulnerabilities and ensure businesses adopt advanced security protocols.

Companies failing to comply within the stipulated timeframe will face a penalty of INR 25,000 per day, as per reports.

The move to set up MCCSC comes as the state government is looking to safeguard corporate data and prevent cyber fraud amid rising number of online threats. Notably, in the recent past, Indian entities have witnessed a surge in ransomware and cyberattacks. In 2024, India ranked as the second most targeted country for cyberattacks globally, behind the US.

According to a report by non-profit Prahar, the country witnessed 500 Mn cyberattacks in the first quarter of 2024, followed by nearly 750 Mn more in the second quarter.

In January this year, Tata Technologies faced a ransomware attack which led to the company suspending some of its services.

Meanwhile, in August last year, a , which provides services to cooperative and regional rural banks, led to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) temporarily isolating the service provider from accessing its retail payment systems.

Another such major cyberattack led to the personalon Telegram in September last year.

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