India, May 26 -- Is the 'Smart Border' project actually smart?

Smart borders promise perfect visibility. The problem is that visibility and controllability are not the same thing. India's new "Smart Border" project put a global belief: that sensors, software, and AI can compensate for geography, manpower, and uncertainty. The ambition behind the initiative, officially announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Border Security Force (BSF) Rustamji Memorial Lecture, is sweeping.

The plan is to upgrade 6,000 km of frontline defense by swapping old physical infrastructure for an automated sensor grid by integrating drone-detection radars, thermal cameras, and micro-UAVs into a single command dashboard.

Boots on the ground aren't eno...