In order to improve national security and safety, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) intends to add 100–150 new satellites to India’s fleet over the course of the next three years. The goal of this extension, according to ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, is to offer nationwide coverage, with a focus on enhancing border security and coastal surveillance.
India now has about 55 satellites in operation, which is considered inadequate for a country with 7,500 kilometers of coastline and extensive land borders. More efficient monitoring and response capabilities throughout these crucial areas will be made possible by the anticipated growth.
Narayanan emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent space sector changes are mostly motivated by the desire for improved monitoring capabilities. Due to these reforms, the industry is now more open to private involvement, enabling private firms to work with ISRO to develop rockets and satellites.
It is anticipated that this cooperative strategy will promote innovation in the Indian space ecosystem and hasten the deployment of satellites. “We can bring in private players to build satellites and we can handhold them through Space Sector reforms,” said Narayanan. In three years, we will be adding another 100-150 satellites. With all those satellites we can monitor the country completely”.
The announcement was made in response to concerns about national security following a terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The expanded satellite network is expected to provide real-time data and imagery to security agencies, improving the nation’s ability to detect and respond to threats along its borders and coasts.
Along with its security efforts, ISRO is also making strides in other fields, like satellite docking technology (it recently accomplished a second successful docking as part of its SpaDeX missions) and the development of a satellite to study climate change, with the G20 countries set to participate in a major international collaboration.
This ambitious satellite expansion is in line with the space sector’s overall growth trajectory in India, which is drawing more private investment and is anticipated to be a key factor in the nation’s future technical and economic advancement.
