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Securing the diamond industry

Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) is one of the largest and most sophisticated diamond centres in the world. With over 4000 members engaged in import and export, trade, and marketing of rough and polished diamonds, BDB has created a business framework to conduct their transactions in maximum convenience and security. The bourse was set up for the primary objective of establishing necessary infrastructural facilities for promotion of export of diamonds, including diamond jewellery from India, to provide support and service facilities for these purposes, and to eventually make India an international trading centre for diamonds, gems and jewellery.

Complex infrastructure

BDB Complex is housed in a sprawling complex covering 20 acres with a constructed area of two million square feet (609 600 m²). It includes two basements of additional one million square feet (304 800 m²) for car parking and utility services with a 24x7 state-of-the-art security and surveillance system, and has a dedicated, well-equipped quick response team for tackling crises.

The bourse has a daily footfall of over 70 000 people coming from all over for diamond trading and it houses critical plant operation. To address this scale of activities efficiently round the clock, it was crucial for BDB to maintain utmost security and safety for people and property.

“We were looking for something that is more than security cameras and analog monitoring. The diamond industry requires the highest standards of security and safety, and with a more advanced and open VMS surveillance system, we are raising the bar for security standards. Milestone was what we were looking for to help control the security of the entire premises,” commented Samir Jha, head security & fire safety, BDB.

Openness and scalability

To close all loops in security measures, BDB chose Milestone Systems, entrusting the open VMS platform with the high security and advanced surveillance BDB needed. On top of that, BDB also found that they were working with very user-friendly platform applications that suited every compliance requirement.

“The best part of Milestone was the openness and scalability by which one can select any camera model or any other system on Milestone. The platform proved to be very user-friendly, not only in terms of installation and configuration, but also in terms of operation. It fulfilled all our requirements locally and onsite with high availability in terms of video data.”

To their surprise, they also found that they were able to access the surveillance system on-the-go using smartphones and tablets.

“The XProtect Mobile app has aided immediate access to the surveillance system on-the-go via smartphones and tablets. Through the app, our security team who patrol every day can now view, play-back and export videos, listen to audio clips and speak through the camera, as well as respond to access control requests and receive push notifications regarding events that can be triggered as alarms directly to a mobile device. Certain other features like MAPs, Smart Wall, Carousel View, and Matrix etc. are also very helpful in proactive monitoring,” said Walter Crasto, head of IT at BDB.

With a huge area to cover, it took BDB around two years to install 3500-plus cameras. They are looking forward to doubling these installations and having them integrated with the access control system (ACS) and video analytics (VA) system.

Improved recovery rate

The recovery of stolen diamonds is notable in an industry where the overall recovery rate for stolen diamonds is low. In 2020, BDB had a 100% recovery rate of precious stones and other properties, thanks largely to Milestone’s assisted video technology.

“There will always be people who are looking to take our diamonds. But now with Milestone System’s open VMS, they are going to find it a lot more challenging. Even our lost diamonds are eventually returned.”

BDB is also glad to contribute to the community by assisting the Mumbai city police to monitor road safety of surrounding areas with the assistance of the Milestone’s open VMS platform.

Project statistics

Location: Mumbai, India

Camera count: 3500+

XProtect product: XProtect Corporate 2019

Milestone Add-ons: Intrusion alarm system, camera edge analytics, etc.

Plugins: Mobile app, smart wall, etc.

Partners: M/s Siemens

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