Pune’s Cosmos Co-operative Bank: Serving as the Financial Heart for the “Oxford of India.”

Located in the West of India, Pune has long been a cultural and financial heart of Maharashtra. Though the Maratha empire was conquered by the British in 1819, many upper class Puneites seized the chance to adopt British culture during the colonial era, which brought many local elites into leadership roles and set the foundation for Pune to again become the cultural center of Maharashtra. Today, thanks to its proximity to Bombay, Pune has sustained its long tradition of economic prosperity. To add to this, Pune’s reputation as an educational center has attracted students from all over the world and earned Pune the title “the Oxford of India.” Of course, to keep this great city working, a financial heart is needed. Pune’s Cosmos Co-operative Bank is that financial heart. Established in 1906, the Cosmos Co-operative Bank is the second oldest & second largest bank in India. The Bank has recently completed a glorious 109 years of service and attained multi state status in 1997. Cosmos Bank operates a huge network of 140 branches in India spread across 7 States and in 39 Major Cities. In Pune, Cosmos Bank is located on the University Road, which is at the heart of the city. Considering the scale of the city of Pune, and the location of the Cosmos Bank, any security system needed to be both up to date, and ahead of the field.

The Challenge: Protecting the Heart of Pune is no easy task.

Cosmos Co-operative bank is headquartered in a building with an inbuilt datacenter and high security safe in the center of Pune. Given that Pune is a dense and complex city with a population of five million people, there are many exterior factors that have to be considered when setting up a security system for the bank. Thus, a high level of risk and threat assessment was required before designing the risk mitigation strategy for the Cosmos bank. Three key risk areas were identified: threats to people; to property; and to the image of the Bank. In order to come up with a complete security system to minimize the risk impact, Cosmos bank engaged professional Bajaj Electricals for the design, engineering and solution implementation. The Bajaj Electricals first went through the study of the plans, in order to distinguish the key threat areas. The flow of vehicles and pedestrians was studied and reviewed, thus a surveillance system that not only ensures the easy flow of pedestrians and vehicles but also guarantees the comfort of employees and customers could be proposed.
A detailed project plan was developed which was tracked and updated on weekly basis to ensure compliances to the scope statement defined in the risk mitigation plan. A 3rd party audit team was also brought on to ensure that the requirements were met and gaps if any in the security were mitigated by appropriate measures. At the end of this extensive research, one security solution provider was found to be able to meet all the challenges facing Cosmos Bank – VIVOTEK.

The Solution: VIVOTEK – Inside and Out, Dark or Light. Bringing Total Security to Cosmos Bank

A total of 132 VIVOTEK network cameras were installed across the headquarters of the bank. For interior spaces, including the main floor area, the lifts and the lobby, 103 FD8136 Ultra-Mini Fixed-Dome Network Cameras were employed. The FD8136 features a megapixel sensor enabling viewing resolution of 1280x800 at 30 fps, while its tiny size of only 90 mm in diameter and an inbuilt microphone and speaker further enhances this tiny but might camera. The small profile but wide view of the camera means that Cosmos bank can now secure its employees, customers and property, without the need to install unsightly large cameras. For the basement parking area, 29 IP8335H Bullet-Network Cameras were deployed. This camera features an HD WDR CMOS sensor for use in challenging lighting conditions. The day and night functionality and the IP67-rated weatherproof housing of the IP8335H allowed Cosmos bank to build a cost-effective IP surveillance system without additional accessories. Incorporating an IR-cut filter that can be removed automatically at night and built-in IR illuminators with coverage for up to 20 meters, the IP8335H secured Cosmos Bank’s parking area all day, every day. Finally, 4 SD8326 Speed-Dome network cameras secured the periphery of Cosmos Bank’s headquarters in central Pune. This camera’s Veri-focal lens, IR and 36x zoom, empowered Cosmos Bank’s security team to identify and recognize objects and number plates, even in the dark of night, while its rugged housing ensured that bad weather would never mean a lapse safety Cosmos Bank’s real treasure, the people of the city of Pune, “the Oxford of India.” A letter of appreciation from Cosmos Bank is attached. This letter highlights the vital part played by Bajaj Electricals Ltd in this project. Bajaj Electricals Ltd provided solutions covering security, safety and energy efficiency and made the headquarters of Cosmos Bank both smarter and more secure.

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Special Thanks

• Cosmos Co-operative Bank
• Bajaj Electricals