Maya OS is an operating system developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 2021, with implementation commencing after 15-August-2023. It is based on the

Ubuntu Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed primarily of free and open-source software. Developed by the British company Canonical (company), Canonical and a community of contributors under a Meritocracy, meritocratic gover ...

distribution of

Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...

. Included with Maya OS is "Chakravyuh", an endpoint detection and protection system designed to safeguard against security threats. The stated goal of the project is to protect sensitive defence systems and data from cyberattacks, promoting indigenous innovation by the

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In or ICERT) is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India. It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security incidents. It strengthens se ...

and reducing dependence on foreign software.

Name

Maya OS derives its name from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word "''Maya''" (''माया''), meaning "illusion". The name reflects the system's capability to provide deceptive layers of security, effectively cloaking the Defence Ministry's computers from potential cyber threats. Accompanying Maya OS is Chakravyuh, an endpoint detection and protection system, named after the Sanskrit term "''Chakravyuha''" (''चक्रव्यूह''). This term describes a strategic military formation used for encircling adversaries, as famously illustrated in the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

epic, the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

Development

Predating Maya OS, in 2007, the

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is an Indian autonomous scientific society, operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. History C-DAC was created in November 1987, initially as the Centr ...

(C-DAC) introduced the

Bharat Operating System Solutions Bharat Operating System Solutions (BOSS GNU/Linux) is an Indian Linux distribution based on Debian. The latest stable release is 10.0 (''Pragya''), which was released in March 2024. Editions BOSS Linux was released in various editions for dif ...

(BOSS GNU/Linux), a Linux distribution intended to foster the use of free and open-source software in India. This operating system was notably adopted by the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

. However, BOSS GNU/Linux failed to achieve widespread success, primarily due to insufficient government backing and investment, leading to its gradual decline. The development of Maya OS started in 2021 after India experienced several cyberattacks from foreign adversaries targeting its critical infrastructure and defense systems. It was developed by experts from different government agencies, including the

Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, head ...

(DRDO), the

(C-DAC), and the

National Informatics Centre The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is an Indian government department under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It provides infrastructure, IT Consultancy, IT Services including but not limited to architecture, ...

(NIC), in about six months.

Adoption

As of August 2023, Maya OS is reported to have been installed in the systems of India's

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. Plans were in place for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force to adopt the operating system by the end of that year. The user interface of Maya OS has been designed to mimic that of

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

, facilitating an easier transition for users accustomed to the Windows environment.

External links

Installation status (Official circular)

Standard Operating Procedure (Official circular)

References

{{Reflist Ubuntu derivatives Linux distributions

Name

Development

Adoption

See also

External links

References