Delhi High Court rejects German firm's plea against C-DOT's emergency-alert deal
Utimaco Technologies challenged the no-tender appointment of C-DOT on procurement grounds, but the government defended the project as a strategic national asset vital to security.
The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a plea by German firm Utimaco Technologies challenging the government's decision to appoint Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) as the exclusive implementation agency for India's emergency cell broadcast system, without conducting a public tender. Justice Sachin Datta dismissed the petition, citing unspecified observations in his ruling.
The case, pending since 2024, saw an urgent hearing following the Centre's nationwide test of the multilingual cell broadcast system, using C-DOT's technology, on May 2. The emergency cell broadcast system allows authorities to send alerts simultaneously to mobile phones in a defined geographical area, facilitating warnings during natural disasters and emergencies without sending individual text messages.
The government defended its choice, arguing the system is a strategic national asset involving public interest and national security, and outsourcing it could harm national interests. Utimaco primarily challenged the decision on procurement and transparency grounds, alleging the government bypassed the normal public tender process despite competing technology providers.
The dispute also concerns trials conducted since 2022, with Reliance Jio and BSNL testing C-DOT's platform, while Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea tested Utimaco's system.
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