Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, commissioned the White Rabbit Technology-based Indian Standard Time (IST) Dissemination Demonstration Network at the Regional Reference Standard Laboratory (RRSL) in Bengaluru on July 16, 2026. The network was developed jointly by the Department of Consumer Affairs, CSIR–National Physical Laboratory (CSIR–NPL), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The Demonstration Network enables secure dissemination of UTC(NPLI)-traceable Indian Standard Time using Precision Time Protocol (PTP)-based White Rabbit Technology. It provides highly accurate, secure, and resilient time synchronization designed for critical sectors including banking and financial markets, telecommunications, power systems, transportation, digital governance, and other strategic infrastructure.
The Department of Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with CSIR–NPL, ISRO, SEBI, the National Stock Exchange (NSE), BSNL, and other stakeholders, has successfully completed the verification of secure dissemination of Indian Standard Time between RRSL Bengaluru and NSE Chennai using White Rabbit Technology. This verification demonstrates the practical application for financial market infrastructure.
During his visit, Minister Joshi reviewed the facilities developed for dissemination of Indian Standard Time and interacted with scientists and engineers. He appreciated ISRO's contribution to developing an indigenous, secure, and resilient time dissemination infrastructure as part of the Government's "One Nation, One Time" initiative.
Minister Joshi stated that accurate and secure dissemination of Indian Standard Time is emerging as important digital public infrastructure that will strengthen consumer protection, support fair trade, enhance cyber resilience, improve reliability of financial markets, improve telecommunications and power systems, and strengthen digital governance. Secretary of Consumer Affairs, Smt. Nidhi Khare, noted that the initiative, together with ongoing reforms in Legal Metrology, would strengthen consumer confidence, support ease of doing business, and contribute to India's digital transformation.
The event was attended by Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO; Shri Raghavendra M. R., Director of ISTRAC, ISRO; Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary of Department of Consumer Affairs; senior scientists and officers from ISRO, Department of Consumer Affairs, and CSIR–NPL; and representatives from BSNL, NSE, and SEBI.