Mercantile Marine Domain Awareness Centre
The Mercantile Marine Domain Awareness Centre (MMDAC) is the integrated maritime monitoring and data management facility of the Directorate General of Shipping. It encompasses India's official Maritime Assistance Service (DGCOMMCENTRE) and the Long-Range Identification and Tracking National Data Centre (LRIT-NDC), providing continuous 24x7 surveillance, crisis communication, and search and rescue coordination for Indian and regional waters.
The Mercantile Marine Domain Awareness Centre brings together two inter-dependent facilities under the Directorate General of Shipping. DGCOMMCENTRE functions as India's Maritime Assistance Service designated under IMO Resolution A.950(23), commissioned on 1 July 2004 in the wake of the 9/11 security reforms and the adoption of the ISPS Code. The LRIT National Data Centre, conceptualised under IMO MSC.81 (2006) and mandated through SOLAS Regulation V/19-1, was commissioned in 2009 and operates around the clock, providing tracking, crisis communication, and search and rescue coordination services for the Indian flag fleet and for Sri Lanka and Maldives under Letters of Intent concluded in 2014 and 2020 respectively.
DGCOMMCENTRE — Maritime Assistance Service
5 FunctionsPurpose & DesignationIMO Resolution A.950(23)
- Single point for casualty and emergency reporting
- Designated as India's Maritime Assistance Service (MAS)
- Commissioned 1 July 2004 following ISPS Code adoption
- 24x7 operations staffed by Radio Officers and Master Mariners
Communication FrameworkGovernment, Ports & Ships
- Link between government agencies and local authorities
- Communication with ships and port facilities
- Early collection and exchange of safety and security information
- NAIS and NAVTEX modules via DGLL
Crisis MonitoringNatural Disasters & Security Incidents
- Crisis Monitoring and Communication Centre during disasters
- Coordination during hijacking and piracy incidents
- Dissemination of IMD weather alerts to ports during cyclones
- Coordination with MRCCs for SAR and pollution incidents
Security FunctionsISPS Code & SSAS
- Implementation and testing of the ISPS Code
- Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) handling and testing
- Guidance for ISPS drills and equipment maintenance
- Incidents of piracy, armed robbery, hijacking, and stowaways
Safety & Record-Keeping
- Maintaining records of casualties, piracy, and accidents
- Records of crew fatalities
- Pollution incident records
- MarineTraffic subscription for AIS tracking and weather data
LRIT National Data Centre
4 FunctionsPurposeSOLAS Reg V/19-1
- Support Search and Rescue (SAR) operations
- Enhance maritime security
- Enable environmental monitoring
- Repository for Indian ships above 300 GRT
Tracking CapabilitiesAIS, LRIT & Weather Integration
- Tracks over 600 vessels with 6-hourly position updates
- Capacity upgraded to support up to 10,000 vessels
- Integrated LRIT, NAIS, and weather reports from IMD
- MarineTraffic for global vessel coverage
- Satellite communications via Tata Communications
Regional Data CentreSri Lanka & Maldives
- LRIT services to Sri Lanka (LoIA signed 18 September 2014)
- LRIT services to Maldives (LoIA signed 26 February 2020)
- Vision to extend services to other Indian Ocean nations
- Disaster Recovery Site at IMAC, Gurgaon
- Audited by IMSO for full IMO compliance
SAR & SURPIC Services
- SARSURPIC (position pictures for SAR operations, free of charge)
- Coastal SURPIC (charged service for coastal monitoring)
- Raw data feeds to Indian Navy at IN-IMAC
- Current Tech Partner: CDAC (operational since 30 January 2020)
Operational Milestones
The MMDAC facility was built over two decades in direct response to global maritime security events and evolving IMO mandates, beginning with post-9/11 security reforms and continuing through successive upgrades in tracking technology and regional cooperation.
MMDAC Portals & External Coordination
The MMDAC maintains direct operational linkages with a range of government, intergovernmental, and industry bodies. The links below provide access to the primary portals associated with the centre's functions and to key external coordination authorities.
