Speaking on the occasion, Hardikar said that cyber threats are a serious concern for modern metro systems, as several departments interact directly with citizens. “Maha Metro cannot remain immune to such risks, and hence, a strong defense system is essential,” he emphasized. Hazra thanked Maha Metro for its cooperation and support in this initiative.

This is the first MoU between C3iHub, IIT Kanpur and any metro corporation in India. The partnership aims to strengthen IT systems, create awareness among officials on strict adherence to cybersecurity protocols, and ensure compliance with international standards like ISO/IEC 27001:2022, NIST-CSF, and CERT-In.

The Key Focus Areas of the MOU Includes

• Cybersecurity gap assessment (VAPT)
• Policy and governance framework
• Roadmap for risk mitigation
• Continuous security monitoring

The evaluation will cover Nagpur (Zero Mile OCC, Hingna Depot, Sitabuldi, Airport South, Khapri, and Metro Bhavan) and Pune (OCC, Range Hills Depot, Civil Court, PCMC, Swargate, and Metro Bhavan). Critical systems such as operations control, signaling, telecom, power supply, automatic fare collection, building and tunnel management, and train onboard systems will be included.

Maha Metro already has multiple safety measures in place, including database management, network management, firewalls, air gaps, and independent networks. This new initiative will further align its cybersecurity with global best practices, ensuring resilience against evolving cyber threats.

Senior officials from Maha Metro, including Vinod Kumar Agrawal (Director – Rolling Stock), Anil Kokate (Director – Strategic Planning & Operations), and Harendra Pandey (Director – Finance), along with C3iHub representatives Dr. Anand Handa (Chief Strategy Officer) and Dr. Ras Dwivedi (Chief Technology Officer), were present during the signing.