Maya (operating system)

Maya OS is an operating system developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation in 2021 which was implemented after 15 August 2023. It is a fork of the Ubuntu distribution of GNU/Linux. Maya OS ships with an end point detection and protection system "Chakravyuh" to protect against security threats.

This strategic shift aims to protect sensitive defence system and data from cyberattacks while promoting indigenous innovation by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team and reducing dependence on foreign software.

Name
Maya OS has been named after the Sanskrit word Maya (माया) which means "illusion". The name suggests that Maya OS can create deceptive layers of protection for the Defence ministry's computers, hiding them from cyberattacks.

Chakravyuh, the end point detection and protection system that ships along with Maya OS is named after the Sanskrit word Chakravyuha (चक्रव्यूह) which refers to a military formation used to surround enemies, depicted in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

Development
Maya OS is not the first operating system developed by the Government of India. In 2007, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) released the Bharat Operating System Solutions (BOSS GNU/Linux), a distribution of GNU/Linux aimed to promote adoption of swatantra software and was also being used by the Indian Army. However it could not become much successful and saw a slow death due to lack of government support and investments.

The development of Maya OS began in 2021 when India faced several cyberattacks from foreign attackers that targeted its critical infrastructure and defence systems. It has been developed by a team of experts from various government agencies, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in a time period of reportedly six months.

Adoption
As of August 2023, Maya OS has reportedly been installed in India's Defence Ministry systems. However the Indian Army, Navy and Airforce were said to be adopting the operating system by the end of the year.

The user interface of the operating system has been designed to resemble Microsoft Windows in order for users to easily transition to it.