New Delhi – Delhi Police’s Counter Intelligence Unit (CIU) is stepping into the future of cyber surveillance with the installation of the next-generation Netra platform, a powerful AI-driven internet monitoring tool developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The initiative marks a significant enhancement of the city’s digital surveillance infrastructure, allowing police to identify and neutralize potential threats through real-time monitoring of online activities.
Following a technical evaluation meeting held in September last year, senior police official DCP Manishi Chandra approved the procurement of high-end servers in January 2025 to support the upgraded Netra system. These servers—each estimated to cost around ₹25 lakh—were acquired at a discounted rate, resulting in substantial cost savings for the department, according to a police officer involved in the project.
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What is Netra and How It Works
Netra (short for Network Traffic Analysis) is a sophisticated surveillance system developed by DRDO’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR). Unlike traditional telephone interception tools, Netra focuses on internet communications—scanning data streams from social media, emails, blogs, forums, and VOIP services in real time. It uses predefined keyword filters to flag suspicious messages and even detects select terms hidden in encrypted texts.
Netra operates by ingesting large volumes of internet traffic and zeroing in on specific threat indicators. For instance, it can monitor for phrases like “attack,” “bomb,” or “kill,” which may indicate terror threats or criminal plotting. The CIU’s upgraded hardware will now allow it to analyze gigabytes to terabytes of data efficiently, making it possible to track user activity across platforms like Facebook, Gmail, and Skype.
The system complements India’s Centralised Monitoring System (CMS), which is used for intercepting phone conversations. Netra adds another layer by enabling comprehensive internet surveillance and providing actionable intelligence in real time.
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Strategic Advantage and National Security Implications
Housed at the CIU office in New Friends Colony, the newly upgraded infrastructure puts Delhi Police ahead of other investigative units in processing and analyzing Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs), USB logs, and dongle-based activity.
Officers involved in cyber investigations highlight that Netra gives them a critical edge, especially in cases that require rapid intelligence processing without compromising operational secrecy. The tool has already proven essential in several sensitive investigations involving national security and organized crime.
A retired senior police officer familiar with Netra’s inception recalled that the project emerged nearly a decade ago as India faced mounting challenges in monitoring data communication by terror outfits. While both DRDO and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) proposed separate systems, Netra became the preferred tool due to its indigenous development and independence from foreign technology providers.
“Netra reflects India’s capability to develop sovereign digital surveillance systems without external reliance,” the officer noted.