Haryana Clears ₹738-Crore Digital Transformation Push to Fortify Cybersecurity, Revolutionise Public Services

Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi approves two major projects to build a secure, resilient and future-ready digital infrastructure

World Bank-supported initiatives to strengthen data security, accelerate service delivery and protect critical government infrastructure

Chandigarh, 

In a landmark initiative aimed at transforming Haryana into a digitally secure and technologically advanced state, Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi on Thursday approved two major infrastructure projects worth an estimated ₹738 crore, paving the way for a comprehensive overhaul of the state's cybersecurity architecture and digital governance infrastructure.

The ambitious projects — the ₹269-crore Haryana Digital Kavach–Security Operations Centre (H-SOC) and the ₹469-crore Haryana State Data Centre 2.0 (HSDC 2.0) — are designed to strengthen protection of government data, enhance the reliability of online public services and establish a robust technological foundation for the state's rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.

The proposals were considered at the 51st meeting of the State-Level IT Steering Committee (IT PRISM), marking a significant step towards integrating advanced cybersecurity, modern computing infrastructure and efficient public service delivery into a unified digital governance framework.

Commissioner & Secretary, CRID, Sh. J Ganesan informed that at the heart of the initiative is Haryana Digital Kavach, a comprehensive cybersecurity programme designed to protect government networks, applications, databases and critical digital infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

The proposed Security Operations Centre will function as a centralised cybersecurity command and monitoring facility, providing round-the-clock threat surveillance, early detection, investigation and coordinated incident response.

Built around the principle of "One State–One SOC," the facility will bring together cybersecurity monitoring capabilities currently distributed across different government departments, enabling faster identification of threats and a coordinated response to potential security breaches.

The centre will deploy advanced technologies, including Security Information and Event Management, automated incident response systems, endpoint detection and response solutions and integrated threat intelligence platforms. These capabilities will enable the government to identify suspicious activities, analyse emerging threats, respond to cybersecurity incidents and strengthen safeguards for sensitive government information.

The ₹269-crore project envisages nine months of implementation followed by five years of operations. It includes proposed World Bank funding of ₹25 crore under the Haryana AI Development Project, with the remaining ₹244 crore to be provided by the state government.

In a parallel initiative, the government will undertake a major technological overhaul of the Haryana State Data Centre, replacing ageing infrastructure with a modern, scalable and secure computing environment.

The existing State Data Centre, operational since August 2012 at the New Secretariat in Chandigarh, supports approximately 74 government departments, boards and corporations. The proposed modernisation will address limitations arising from outdated equipment, ageing networking systems, restricted computing capacity and the absence of a dedicated disaster recovery facility.

Under the ₹469-crore HSDC 2.0 project, Haryana will establish a next-generation digital infrastructure platform equipped with high-performance computing, advanced data storage, GPU-ready systems, modern networking architecture and strengthened cybersecurity controls.

The new facility will initially operate with a power allocation of 72 kVA, with provision to expand to 300 kVA as the state's computing and storage requirements increase.

A distinctive feature of both projects is their adoption of a fully managed Operational Expenditure (OPEX) model, replacing conventional upfront procurement of IT hardware and software with subscription-based services.

Under this arrangement, specialised managed service providers will be responsible for designing, installing, operating, maintaining, and upgrading the technological infrastructure.

The two projects are expected to deliver substantial long-term benefits by strengthening cybersecurity, reducing the risk of disruptions to online services and improving the resilience of government information systems.

The meeting also deliberated upon the development and implementation of SARAL 2.0, a next-generation citizen service delivery platform aimed at further enhancing the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of government services in Haryana.

Managing Director, HARTRON, Dr. Yash Garg, Additional Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics & Communication, Sh. Samwartak Singh Khangwal, Head SeMT, Sh. Nitin Bansal, World Bank Group Digital Expert, Sh. Utkarsh Vijay and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.