Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has developed and deployed India’s first fully indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System for ports, now operational at Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited in Kerala.
The system, built end-to-end by the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Madras, follows specifications issued by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and is described by officials as fully indigenous in software architecture, source code and data layers.
According to IIT Madras and multiple briefings, the platform integrates radar, AIS signals and voice communications, enabling monitoring of vessel movements, scheduling and emergency management, with applicability to merchant shipping, naval vessels and small coastal craft.
The system uses an open-source framework and supports OEM-independent integration of radar and voice-data systems, reducing reliance on foreign hardware suppliers. Technical documentation highlights open architecture, extensibility for new sensors, “defence-grade” security features, and scalability intended to lower deployment and maintenance costs across ports.
According to IIT Madras and MoPSW-linked sources, two additional western-coast ports are discussing adoption of the system, though they have not been named.
IIT Madras is a public research university established in 1959 in Chennai under technical and academic collaboration agreements during its early years. It operates under India’s Institutes of Technology Act and oversees a broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across engineering, natural sciences, humanities and management. The institute maintains multiple interdisciplinary research centres and works closely with government agencies and industry on applied research projects.
