IITM Pravartak partners SRIT to scale adoption of indigenous ‘ShaktiDB’ database platform
In a significant move towards enhancing India’s digital infrastructure, the IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation has announced a partnership with Bengaluru-based ICT solutions provider SRIT. This collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of ShaktiDB, an indigenous enterprise database platform that is a part of India’s initiative for sovereign digital solutions.
Background of the Initiative
The partnership comes at a time when there is a growing demand for secure and sovereign database infrastructures in India. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and is being executed jointly by IIT Madras’ technology innovation hub, Pravartak, and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
Objectives of the Partnership
The primary objectives of this collaboration include:
- Accelerating the adoption of ShaktiDB across various enterprises and government institutions.
- Reducing reliance on foreign proprietary database platforms.
- Providing a secure, sovereign, and future-ready database infrastructure tailored for Indian needs.
Significance of ShaktiDB
ShaktiDB is built on a hardened fork of PostgreSQL, a widely used open-source relational database management system. The platform has been specifically designed to cater to the requirements of government agencies and regulated sectors. Key features of ShaktiDB include:
- Enterprise-grade Security: Ensures that sensitive data is protected through robust security measures.
- Regulatory Compliance: Meets the necessary compliance standards required by various sectors.
- Performance Reliability: Offers consistent performance under heavy database loads.
- Scalable Architecture: Can be easily scaled to accommodate growing data needs.
- Data Sovereignty: Supports the need for data to be stored and processed within the country’s borders.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Aims to reduce costs associated with database management.
Statements from Leadership
Shankar Raman, Chief Executive Officer of IITM Pravartak, highlighted the mission behind this initiative: “Our mission is to build and scale sovereign deep-tech innovations that strengthen India’s digital backbone through home-grown solutions like the ShaktiDB database system.” He further emphasized that this collaboration is a strategic step towards accelerating indigenous technology adoption, allowing institutions to confidently transition to secure, enterprise-grade platforms developed in India, for India.
Madhu Nambiar, Chairman of SRIT, also expressed his support for the partnership, stating that it aligns with national priorities aimed at fostering technological self-reliance. He noted, “This collaboration represents a significant stride towards ensuring that Indian enterprises have access to robust, secure, and efficient database solutions.”
Future Prospects
The partnership between IITM Pravartak and SRIT is expected to pave the way for a more self-reliant technological landscape in India. By focusing on indigenous solutions like ShaktiDB, the collaboration aims to empower various sectors, including government institutions, to leverage advanced database technologies without the constraints of foreign dependencies.
Conclusion
The collaboration between IITM Pravartak and SRIT marks a pivotal moment in India’s journey towards establishing a sovereign digital infrastructure. As the demand for secure and efficient database solutions continues to grow, initiatives like ShaktiDB will play a crucial role in meeting these needs while promoting local innovation and self-reliance.
Note: The information provided in this article is based on the latest updates from IIT Madras and SRIT as of March 12, 2026.
