Bhubaneswar: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will develop its capacity to tackle possible threats of drone and cyber attacks on vital installations, a senior officer said here Thursday.
“In the next modernisation plan, we will take up drone and anti-drone training in a big way,” CISF Director General (DG) Praveer Ranjan said while referring to drone attacks during ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the prevailing conflict in Iran.
Addressing media persons on the eve of the 57th Raising Day of CISF, Ranjan said they have established a drone training and anti-drone capability training centre in their unit at Behror in Rajasthan and MHA granted approval for establishing the Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) for training on drone operation and anti-drone systems.
The CISF has been designated as the nodal agency for aerial threat at vital installations, he added.
Similarly, nowadays, every sector is facing cyber threats. So, the system (software applications) security has become very important as everything is done by the system, he said.
“CISF is also going a big way to develop its capacity in cyber security. We have already developed some cyber commandos,” the DG said.
Under its modernisation plan for 2026-30, the CISF has identified 76 items, amounting to Rs 819 crore, which include training on drone solutions, establishing an integrated cyber security lab, a dedicated data centre, and a zero-trust network to safeguard its digital infrastructure, officials said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah would grace the Raising Day celebration at CISF’s Mundali unit and inaugurate two residential projects of the force.
Shah is scheduled to inaugurate a modern residential complex at Rajarhat, Kolkata (Rs 72.46 crore) and another housing project at Maidan Garhi, Delhi (Rs 253.10 crore).
He will also lay foundation stones for the 9th Reserve Battalion at Nagarbera, Assam (Rs 124.73 crore); the 11th Reserve Battalion at Nashik, Maharashtra (Rs 195.29 crore); and the 12th Reserve Battalion at Sehore, Madhya Pradesh (Rs 243.73 crore).
Today, with a strength of two lakh personnel, the central force provides security cover to 361 vital installations spread across 25 states and five UTs.
The CISF is guarding 71 airports, Delhi Metro Rail, 10 chemical & fertilizers, 105 power plants, 18 nuclear installations, 16 establishments of department of space, 47 government buildings housing major ministries of Government of India, 15 seaports, 6 defence units, 36 oil & natural gas units, 17 steel plants and 10 coal mines, 9 private sectors, etc, he said.
The Special Security Group (SSG) of CISF provides security to over 156 protectees. The CISF special fire wing with nearly 9,700 personnel provides fire management services to 114 units spread across 23 states of the country.
Eight precious lives were saved by the CISF personnel during medical contingencies, fire incidents and by preventing suicide attempts across the country during last year, he said.
During Operation Sindoor, amid heavy shelling by Pakistani forces, CISF personnel analysed shell trajectories, and evacuated nearly 250 civilians, including women, children and NHPC staff-to safety, Ranjan said.
To strengthen the force, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has enhanced the strength of the CISF from 2 lakh to 2.2 lakh personnel in last year.
This 10 per cent increase in strength, approved in August 2025, aims to strengthen the security of critical infrastructure like airports, seaports, and industrial hubs. Approximately 14,000 personnel will be recruited annually for the next five years, he stated.
While 32,733 personnel were recruited in the force in 2025, 21,790 personnel will be recruited this year, he further said.
