Mumbai’s vast CCTV security grid is set to enter a new, technology-driven phase, with facial recognition emerging as the centrepiece of the city’s upgraded surveillance strategy. The state government has sanctioned Rs 2,140 crore for Phase 3 of the CCTV project, aimed at strengthening law and order, traffic management and emergency response.

Under earlier phases, 5,442 cameras were installed in Phase 1 and 5,069 in Phase 2. Phase 3 will now add 866 more cameras, while significantly enhancing the capability of existing ones. The key shift in this phase is the integration of facial recognition technology and AI-based video analytics.