Context: 

Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has unveiled the ‘Sangam: Digital Twin’ initiative for Infrastructure Planning and future Design.

About Sangam: Digital Twin initiative

• It is a Proof of Concept [Demonstration of a Product] distributed in two stages to be conducted in one of the major cities of India. 
  • Proof of Concept (PoC) Stages: 
    • Exploratory Stage: It focuses on clarifying goals and exploring creative ideas to unlock potential. 

• • • Demonstrative Stage: Here, specific use cases are demonstrated to create a blueprint for future collaboration and scaling successful strategies. 
• Aim: To implement practical infrastructure planning solutions, develop a collaborative framework, and provide a roadmap for future projects. 

Significance of Sangam: Digital Twin initiative 

• Unifying Stakeholders for Innovative Solutions for advancements in infrastructure. 
• Incorporating a comprehensive approach to move beyond conventional boundaries. 
• Showcasing Practical Implementation & Providing a Blueprint for Future Development
• It establishes the nation as a pioneer in digital infrastructure and innovation.
• For establishing an efficient, effective, and sustainable ecosystem by technological advancements for Societal Needs : 
• It emerges in the context of advancements in communication, computation, and sensing, aiming to achieve the vision of 2047. 

Advantages Of Sangam: Digital Twin initiative 

• Better R&D: It  facilitates more efficient research and product design by generating extensive data on performance possibilities, enabling companies to refine products before production. 
• Improved Efficiency: It  benefits production by monitoring systems and striving for optimal efficiency throughout manufacturing.
• Product Lifecycle Management: It  aids in decision-making for end-of-life products, assisting in determining suitable processing methods such as recycling, by analyzing product materials.

Applications of Digital Twins Technology

• Power-generation Equipment: Large engines like jet engines, locomotive engines and power-generation turbines etc benefit tremendously for helping to establish timeframes for regularly needed maintenance.
• Structures and their Systems : Big physical structures, such as large buildings or offshore drilling platforms, can be improved &  useful in designing the systems operating within those structures, such as HVAC systems. 
• Healthcare Services : Sensor-generated data can be used to track a variety of health indicators and generate key insights. 
• Automotive industry Cars represent many types of complex, co-functioning systems, and digital twins are used extensively in auto design, both to improve vehicle performance and increase the efficiency surrounding their production. 
• Urban Planning: Civil engineers and others involved in urban planning activities are aided significantly by the use of digital twins, which can show 3D and 4D spatial data in real-time and also incorporate augmented reality systems into built environments.

Challenges In Digital Twins Technology

• Data Management and Security: Data standardization, management, and security.Concerns arise regarding the privacy and security of sensitive data.
• Implementation and Legacy Systems Transformation: Obstacles exist in implementing Digital Twins Updating outdated IT infrastructure and addressing connectivity issues are necessary. 
• Integration Impediments: Integration challenges with existing systems and proprietary software contribute to impediments.
• Costs and Investment: It  requires substantial investment in technology platforms, infrastructure, maintenance, security, operational costs and upkeep expenses.

News Source: PIB