Public sector undertakings · government
PSU Data Destruction Requirements in India
What public sector undertakings typically specify for media sanitisation and destruction, the equipment that satisfies it, and the documentation to include in a PSU or departmental tender.
Common requirements
PSU degausser specifications and the Proton answer
| PSU requirement | Specification language you will see | Proton equipment |
|---|---|---|
| NSA listed degausser | "Hard drive degausser listed on NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List" | Proton T-4 or T-5 |
| Field strength | "Minimum 20,000 Gauss" or "minimum 1 Tesla" | T-4 / T-5, or the T-1 / T-1.2 / T-1.5 for the lower threshold |
| Bi-directional pulse | "Both positive and negative pulse" | Proton T-4 (Reverse Polarity) |
| Field verification | "Machine shall have inbuilt field verification" | T-4 (internal Gaussmeter), T-1.5, T-1.2, T-5 |
| HDD destroyer | "NSA/CSS evaluated HDD destroyer" | PDS-75 or PDS-100 |
| Electronic media | "Destruction of SSD, pen drive, SIM, cards as per E-Waste Rules" | PDS-88 shredder or PDS-SSD destroyer |
| Operation without mains | "Shall operate on battery / UPS" | T-4 with 12 V battery operation option |
| Portable / field use | "Portable degausser for field deployment" | Proton 1100 wand + PDS-75 |
| Warranty | "Minimum 12 months manufacturer warranty" | Manufacturer warranty via authorised channel |
| AMC | "Annual maintenance contract with response time commitment" | Quridge AMC with verification schedule in writing |
| Authorised supply | "From the manufacturer or its authorised distributor" | We supply the channel authorisation letter |
| Training | "Operator training and documentation" | Included on commissioning, with records |
1. What a PSU media-destruction policy usually needs to state
If you are writing the requirement rather than responding to it, these are the clauses that make the specification usable:
- Media classes in scope — HDDs, server drives, tapes, SSDs and other flash, phones, SIMs, cards, optical media. Be explicit. "All media" without naming flash is the most common drafting error, and it produces a bid that is non-responsive.
- Method per media class — degauss for magnetic, destroy for flash, and whether physical destruction is also required for the sanitised magnetic media.
- The standard to be met — NIST SP 800-88, US DoD requirements, or an NSA listing. Naming the standard is more useful than describing the outcome.
- Verification requirement — whether per-cycle field verification is required, and whether a test certificate is required at delivery.
- Records — the destruction register format, retention period, and who may sign it.
- Scrap disposal — compliance with the E-Waste (Management) Rules and the documentation to be produced.
- Authorised supply — manufacturer or authorised distributor, with the evidence required.
- Warranty and AMC — terms, verification schedule and response commitment.
- Training — operator training with records, and the number of operators to be trained.
- Any local-content clause — stated explicitly, so bidders can respond accurately.
2. If you are responding to a PSU tender
- Check the NSA listing clause first — it eliminates most of the range
- Confirm the stated field threshold is met, and state the actual value
- Confirm whether per-cycle verification is required, and that the machine provides it
- Check whether flash media is in scope, and add a shredder line if it is
- Check for a battery or UPS requirement, and whether the T-4 option satisfies it
- Check for a local-content or domestic-preference clause, and flag it early
- Get the AMC, installation, training and warranty terms priced in writing for the commercial schedule
- Request the datasheet, authorisation letter and EPL reference — we supply them the same working day
- Request a written lead time against your bid and delivery dates
3. A PSU-ready destruction cell
| Purpose | Model | Why this model |
|---|---|---|
| Magnetic media sanitisation | Proton T-4 | NSA EPL listed, bi-directional ±20,000 Gauss, internal Gaussmeter, 12 V battery option for secure rooms |
| Bulk magnetic sanitisation | Proton T-5 | NSA EPL listed, 2 Tesla, under 20 seconds, digital cycle counter for a running log |
| Physical destruction | PDS-100 | NSA/CSS evaluated, automatic 8-second cycle, manual crank backup, rear output slide |
| Manual / lower-volume crushing | PDS-75 | NSA listed, manual, ~90° bend in 8 seconds |
| Flash and optical media | PDS-88 | Destroys SSDs, phones, USB, SIM, cards, CDs and DVDs from a standard outlet |
| Field / multi-site deployment | Proton 1100 wand + PDS-75 | Portable, so destruction happens at the site rather than at a central store |
4. Where PSUs typically struggle
- Flash media is out of scope. Many PSU specifications still say "hard drive degausser" and nothing about SSDs, while the PSU's own data centres are now largely flash. That is a genuine risk, not a formality.
- No verification requirement. Without a verification requirement, bids can be won by machines that merely cycle. Specify per-cycle field verification and require a test certificate at delivery.
- No register format. Without a specified format, every bidder supplies a different document and the PSU ends up with an unusable evidence set. Specify the fields.
- AMC kept out of the commercial schedule. Then it gets added later at a higher cost, or the verification requirement is quietly dropped. Price it in the bid.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions Indian buyers ask most often. Cannot find yours? Call us — we answer technical questions on the phone.
What do Indian PSUs typically require in a degausser specification?
In most cases an NSA/CSS evaluated degausser for magnetic media, an evaluated crusher for physical destruction, and a method for electronic media disposal compliant with the E-Water/E-Waste Rules. Field verification evidence at delivery is increasingly specified.
Is NSA listing mandatory for a PSU purchase?
It is not a statutory requirement, but it is written into PSUs' technical specifications very frequently because it is the recognised verification shorthand. In practice, treat it as required unless the specification says otherwise.
Do PSUs need a specific brand?
Public sector procurement in India is generally technology-neutral and specification-based. A specification calling for an NSA-listed degausser of a stated field strength can be met by any compliant machine — which is why we supply the datasheet and the EPL reference rather than a brand argument.
What about local-content or Make-in-India preferences?
Proton machines are manufactured in the United States. Where a tender includes a local-content or domestic-preference clause, check the specific requirement with us before bidding so you are not caught out. We will be straightforward about where a preference clause creates a problem.
Do PSUs need AMC and spares commitments in the bid?
Frequently yes, for multi-year contracts. Get the AMC scope, verification schedule and response commitment priced in writing for the commercial schedule — it is a common cause of a bid being commercially non-responsive.
PSU or departmental requirement?
Send us the specification. We will confirm compliance in writing, supply the bid documents and quote with AMC, installation and training included.