Airtel Business, the enterprise arm of Bharti Airtel Limited, has secured a multi-year contract from the Indian Railway Security Operations Centre (IRSOC) to deliver a comprehensive, industry-leading cybersecurity solution protecting the digital backbone of Indian Railways. The contract, announced on October 6, 2025, marks a significant step in fortifying one of India’s largest and most complex transportation networks against rising cyber threats.

Scope of the IRSOC Project

Under the contract, Airtel Business will design, build, implement, and operate a greenfield, multi-layered cybersecurity ecosystem that functions round-the-clock. This ecosystem will act as a resilient defense barrier, securing the Indian Railways’ IT infrastructure, including ticketing systems, payment gateways, train tracking applications, and operational databases. The project covers 26 locations, safeguarding digital operations and ensuring uninterrupted service delivery to millions of commuters daily.

The Indian Railways operates over 13,000 trains daily, serving more than 20 million passengers, while handling millions of digital transactions and transporting over 1.5 billion tons of freight annually. Protecting sensitive data such as customer identities, payment details, and operational databases is critical to maintaining the reliability, safety, and efficiency of rail services.

Advanced Technology and Make in India Solutions

The cybersecurity solution integrates AI-driven technologies, including SIEM, SOAR, UEBA, and Endpoint Detection and Response systems, to monitor, predict, and neutralize threats in real time. The system achieves an industry-leading mean-time-to-detect of less than 20 seconds. Airtel will also deploy Make in India cybersecurity products, ensuring a sovereign and fully compliant ecosystem tailored for critical national infrastructure protection.

Key features include:

• Unified compliance and visibility: Real-time monitoring and centralized dashboards across all locations.

• Advanced endpoint protection: Continuous AI-driven monitoring of all endpoints.

• Robust patch and vulnerability management: Real-time oversight of 190,000+ critical devices and assets.

• Threat intelligence and dark web monitoring: Proactive detection and mitigation of cyber risks.

• Strong network and access controls: Secured firewalls, routers, MPLS networks, and credential management for mission-critical applications.

Impact and Benefits

The project will directly benefit over 1 billion Indians, ensuring safe, seamless, and efficient digital services, including ticket booking, payments, and freight management. Airtel’s solution will protect the data of 160,000 employees spread across various railway operations.

Sharat Sinha, CEO & Director of Airtel Business, said that the company is proud to be entrusted with safeguarding one of India’s largest digital infrastructures, ensuring operational continuity, data integrity, and passenger safety. The solution will shield railway digital operations from evolving cyber threats while improving efficiency and service delivery.

Dilip Kumar, EDIP – Railway Board, highlighted that IRSOC’s centralised monitoring will enhance the detection and response to cyber threats, streamline IT asset management, and ensure collaboration with National Cyber Security Agencies. This initiative is critical for passenger safety and uninterrupted railway operations.

About Bharti Airtel

Headquartered in India, Bharti Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 600 million customers across 15 countries in India and Africa. The company provides mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi, cloud, IoT, cybersecurity, and digital services through its enterprise arm, Airtel Business. Airtel also operates Indus Tower Ltd., offering passive infrastructure services, and its digital platform Xtelify enables AI-driven enterprise cloud and communication solutions.

About Indian Railways

Indian Railways is the world’s fourth-largest rail system with over 135,000 km of track, serving more than 7,000 stations and employing over 1.2 million people. It transports billions of passengers and millions of tonnes of freight annually, forming a backbone of national connectivity and commerce. Nearly 99% of its broad-gauge routes are electrified, and it continues to modernize with initiatives like Vande Bharat Express trains, station redevelopment projects, and digital innovations such as the IRCTC SwaRail app.

Conclusion

The multi-year IRSOC contract marks a major milestone for Airtel Business in cybersecurity for critical national infrastructure. The initiative strengthens Indian Railways’ IT backbone, ensures data security, and provides millions of citizens with safe and seamless digital railway services, reinforcing India’s position in resilient digital infrastructure management.

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