Representative image
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Karnataka is likely to soon have a state-of-the-art Integrated Command Centre exclusively dedicated to powering the Cyber Command Unit (CCU), which houses multiple wings, including cybercrime and cyber security.
According to a Home Department source, the CCU has proposed setting up the Karnataka Cyber Command Centre (K4C), with its headquarters in Bengaluru and mini hubs in all districts.
The CCU, which was set up mid-last year, currently houses cybercrime, cyber security, and the Information Disorder Tackling Unit (IDTU). However, the CCU lacks a modern approach and the required technology to deal with the evolving cybercrime landscape. Although the CCU exists on paper, it does not yet have its own head office.
The proposal seeks to establish a dedicated unit and to add more wings, such as in-house technology development, specialised units to tackle crimes against children and women, and skilling units.
According to sources, the project is estimated to cost around ₹400 crore and is expected to be implemented within the next three months. The project’s structure is inspired by institutions such as the FBI’s Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL), INTERPOL’s Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI), and Singapore’s CSA Labs.
The proposal follows directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs and observations made by Justice M. Nagarprasanna regarding the Cyber Command Centre (CCC), which is now CCU.
“Cyber Command Centre (CCC) should not be a mere edifice of bureaucracy, but a paradigm shift, a beacon heralding a new dawn in the fight against cybercrime. Giving it teeth in its true perspective would be making the CCC emerge as a new-age antidote to meet the new-age crimes. Therefore, it must be robustly fortified,” Justice Nagarprasanna had observed in 2025.
What is the proposal?
To establish the command centre, the proposal seeks the recruitment and training of specialised domain experts, the establishment of AI-powered innovation labs, and a 24×7 security and network operations centre. It also envisages an intelligence-driven hub with 176 specialists across 11 specialised verticals (see box), AI-powered case analysis systems, innovation labs, and predictive policing, empowering 270 personnel across 45 CEN stations.
The proposal also includes the establishment of forensic-enabled mini hubs and the integration of regional, national, and international portals for seamless collaboration. Additionally, it seeks to include Karnataka-Computer Emergency Response Team (K-CERT) and integrate the centre with 14C and CERT-In for national alignment.
Once the mini hubs are established, the Integrated Command Centre will connect all mini hubs across Karnataka for real-time case coordination and resource allocation, reducing response times to less than 14 hours.
It also proposes an international portal to facilitate partnerships with INTERPOL, the FBI, and global cybersecurity hubs, coordinated by 10 global liaison officers, to combat cross-border crimes such as ransomware and cryptocurrency scams.
What’s the objective?
With the setting up of the Cyber Command Centre, the plan envisions that by 2030, incident response times will be accelerated by 40% (from approximately 24 hours to 14 hours) through AI-driven predictive policing. It also aims to reduce cybercrime losses by 30% and increase convictions by 50% (from 0.23% to 0.345%), targeting about 2,970 convictions from 8,620 annual cases, through advanced forensics.
Published – January 30, 2026 11:44 pm IST
