NATGRID Urges States to Leverage Database for Crime Control
Top States Lauded for Active Use as MHA Pushes for Wider Adoption
The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) initiative, has called on state police forces to ramp up their use of its real-time database to combat crime and enhance law enforcement. In a letter to state police chiefs, NATGRID CEO Piyush Goyal emphasized increasing active users, particularly district superintendents of police, to leverage the platform for crime control and tackling criminal activities.
NATGRID, operational since December 2020, provides 11 central agencies and all state police forces access to over 20 data categories, including banking, immigration, railways, airlines, and telecom, to track terror activities, organized crime, counterfeit currency, and narcotics. “This may be reviewed periodically in your meetings,” Goyal wrote, offering dedicated training sessions to boost engagement.
The letter praised Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Assam for their consistent use of NATGRID from January to June 2025, with Tamil Nadu noted for a fourfold increase in active users in June. Goyal highlighted the platform’s growing features and ongoing training to support its adoption.
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Conceived after the 2008 Mumbai attacks exposed gaps in real-time intelligence, NATGRID was approved in 2010 at ₹3,400 crore but faced delays until its revival under Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2019. The platform proved critical in tracking figures like David Headley, whose movements aided the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s 26/11 attack that killed 166 people.
While central agencies like the Intelligence Bureau, RAW, and CBI have direct access, state police forces are encouraged to integrate NATGRID into routine operations, complementing the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), which connects 16,347 police stations for FIR registration. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s backing, NATGRID aims to strengthen India’s security framework, provided states fully embrace its capabilities.
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