Comat Technologies (Pvt) Ltd., a leading provider of  E-Governance solutions, today announced strategic collaboration with Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communications Technology       
(DA-IICT) to develop secure identity cards (ID Cards) based on digital watermarking technology.

Digital watermarking or Steganography is the art of concealing the existence of information within seemingly innocuous carriers. Digital watermarks are employed in an attempt to provide proof of ownership and identify illicit copying and distribution of multimedia information. Digital watermarking is emerging as one of the leading technologies for ID card applications such as Driver ’s License, Passport and other documents.

Dr. Suman K. Mitra is one of the leading researchers in the field of Steganography in India. Dr. Mitra is heading a research team in collaboration with Comat to develop the technology for ID card application in India. Comat recognized the need of indigenous development of this critical technology for many of the E-Governance services that are being considered for deployment in India and decided to collaborate with DA-IICT to bring the technology to market quickly.

Digital Watermarking is significantly cheaper than other identification technologies such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). One of the key advantages of Digital Watermarking is that it can easily be combined with biometric to provide a secure ID card suitable for applications such as ration card, driver’s license and ATM card. DA-IICT and Comat share a common vision to provide a cost effective solution for the ID card applications in India.

After the signing the collaboration agreement Prof. Arvind Kudchadker, Director of DA-IICT said, “There is a significant need for indigenous development of technologies for security of the nation. We share a common vision with Comat for a close collaboration between academia and the industry to rapidly develop these technologies.”

Mr. Ravi Rangan, CEO of Comat said, “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with DA-IICT, which is completely focused on developing critical technologies needed for building a safe and secure information and communications infrastructure. The time for India to develop its own technology solutions in the area of security has arrived. We are proud to partner with DA-IICT to further this cause.” The collaboration between Comat and DA-IICT was championed by Dr. Ashim Roy, who heads Comat’s activities in North America.

About DA-IICT

The vision of DA-IICT is to serve as a catalyst and a change agent for the development of a culture for Information and Communication Technology and to actively participate in the fructification of the National Action Plan for Information Technology.

DA-IICT is promoted by the Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation and the Reliance Group, in pursuance of a Memorandum of Understanding entered into with the Government of Gujarat, to impart information and communication technology education of international standards. A non-profit educational society established in 2001 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat for furtherance of education, research, and training in information and communication technology.

DA-IICT commenced activities from August 2001. It aims to offer a whole spectrum of education, research, and training programs in information and communication technology at certificate, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. DA-IICT caters to the learning needs of students and researchers and continuing education requirements of working executives, practicing professionals, and government officials. Research in emerging areas of information and communication technology is a major thrust at the Institute and is being leveraged for all its academic pursuits. DA-IICT aspires to become a leading research-led institution. More about DA-IICT may be found at www.da-iict.org