The NAVIC satellite communication device to be installed on fishing vessels under a collaborative project between the government and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon be provided with additional features for fleet safety management. M.C. Dathan, Scientific Adviser to the Chief Minister, told a meeting that efforts were on to provide the NAVIC devices with two-way communication facility and a locator beacon for precise tracking. Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma said the launch of the GSAT-6A satellite by the ISRO in February was expected to improve communication with fishermen at sea. She said the user trails of the fleet safety management system had proved to be successful. Terming the project as a milestone in ISRO’s social outreach, she said the space agency had promised to supply 500 NAVIC devices by February 10. The government had requested the ISRO to provide another 1,000 devices by the end of the month. The government is planning take up the mass manufacture of the device at the public sector Keltron. The proposal is scheduled to be discussed at a meeting with the Industries Minister on February 6. Fisheries Director S. Venkatesapathy and officials from the ISRO, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, MapmyIndia, National Informatics Centre, Keltron and the Fisheries Department were present at the meeting convened to impart training in the use of NAVIC devices. Introduced in the wake of Cyclone Ockhi, the NAVIC system relies on a constellation of seven Indian satellites to provide weather warnings and potential fishing zone advisory to fishermen at sea up to a distance of 1,500 km from the coast. The NAVIC receiver on board uses an antenna to pick up satellite signals that are relayed as text message and maps to Android phones equipped with a special software application.