India and the UAE are set to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership following the official visit of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Defence Minister of the UAE, to India from April 8–9, 2025. The visit focused on enhancing cooperation in defence, trade, technology, and connectivity. Key Developments In Defence Cooperation Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized India’s eagerness to collaborate with the UAE on co-production and co-development of weapon systems and innovation in future defence technologies. Both leaders agreed to scale up defence cooperation to match advancements in other areas like trade and business.
Training exchanges were identified as a priority to strengthen bilateral defence ties and understanding of each other’s ecosystems. Discussions included opportunities for joint ventures in defence manufacturing under the “Make-in-India” and “Make-in-Emirates” initiatives. Broader Bilateral Engagements Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Meeting: Modi highlighted Dubai’s role in advancing the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Discussions focused on strengthening ties across trade, energy, education, sports, and people-to-people connections. Sheikh Hamdan reaffirmed the shared vision for innovation and prosperity.
NASA-ISRO NISAR Mission Launch Date Under Review
Work on the NISAR satellite has been completed at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Satellite Integration and Testing Establishment in Bengaluru, and preparations are under way to transport it to the launch site at the agency’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on India’s south-eastern coast.
NASA and ISRO now are reviewing potential launch dates for the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission.
Launch services are provided by ISRO, using the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle Mark II rocket that will carry the spacecraft into low Earth orbit. The launch readiness date for the mission will be determined by the two agencies in the coming weeks.
The NISAR satellite will scan nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days to measure changes in the planet’s ecosystems, growth and retreat of its land and sea ice, and deformation of its crust. Information provided by NISAR will help with such tasks as infrastructure monitoring, disaster response, biomass assessment, and agricultural management.
NASA News
