India is set to phase out GPS-based timekeeping and switch to an indigenous system powered by a network of five atomic clocks

India plans to transition from GPS-based timekeeping to a domestic system that uses a network of five atomic clocks. The action was recently announced by Union Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, who cited the necessity to safeguard vital infrastructure from possible external disruptions, including banking, navigation, and defense.

The move is in line with worldwide trends of less reliance on foreign-controlled systems and reflects India’s rising commitment to technology self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat goal.

Why the Shift from GPS Matters

The Global Positioning System (GPS), which is owned and run by the US government, is being used by India. Even though GPS can provide temporal precision of up to 10 nanoseconds, India is still vulnerable to foreign manipulation or denial, particularly in key scenarios.

Principal scientist Ashish Agarwal of the National Physical Laboratory cited a significant historical example: the US’s refusal to provide India with GPS data during the Kargil War hampered military operations. India has been forced by this experience to develop a robust, domestic substitute.

Atomic Clocks Across India

Five atomic clocks positioned strategically in Guwahati, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Faridabad, and Bhubaneswar will oversee the domestic timekeeping system. After successful testing, it is anticipated that these meticulously calibrated clocks will soon be completely operational.

Indian Standard Time (IST) will continue to be offset by +05:30 from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in spite of the technical shift.

Critical Sectors to Benefit First

Nidhi Khare, secretary of consumer affairs, underlined the need of timeliness in industries like banking, defense, and stocks. She stated that even little variations in time stamps might result in legal issues or malfunctions in high-speed systems.

Commercial organizations, such as financial institutions and IT companies, will be required to use the new system for official timekeeping once it is implemented.

Towards Strategic Autonomy

India is now adopting its own time systems, joining nations such as China and Russia. The program highlights India’s strategic objective of decreasing its dependency on outside technology infrastructure.

In the end, switching from GPS-based time to a sovereign atomic clock network improves national security and establishes India as a progressive country in the global IT arena.

Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat

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