Focus on space assets, India looks at Rs 25,000 crore budget

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, February 7

The Indian armed forces will focus on space assets for surveillance, long-range engagement (directing missiles) and future warfare while the budget for space is expected to be around Rs 25,000 crore in the coming years, said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan, while inaugurating “DEFSAT”, a three-day space seminar and exhibition, at the Manekshaw Centre here.

India, Australia ink agreement

At ‘DEFSAT’, the Satcom Industry Association-India and the Space Industry Association of Australia signed a pact to deepen collaboration and drive mutual growth in the space industry.

The government had big targets for space augmentation and its exploration, he said.

“We need a self-reliant space system as space is crucial for the survival of the armed forces. The forces will augment space-based capability for early warning systems. We are looking at space-based intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance assets. Low earth-orbiting satellite will be needed,” said the CDS.

He said the Indian forces could not remain reliant on other countries. “We need a secure ‘navic’ (space-based navigation) constellation for long-range engagement and satellite-enabled 5G systems,” he said.

“We need counter-space capabilities to safeguard assets,” General Chauhan said, adding that space could be used as a force multiplier to enhance combat capabilities in traditional domains of land, air, sea and even the cyber field.

He called upon all stakeholders, private sector included, of the defence space ecosystem to work on bolstering counter-space capabilities as a deterrent for safeguarding the country’s space assets.

As of now, 75 space-related projects have been listed under the innovation scheme of the Defence Ministry. “Under this initiative, five contracts have been signed and four more contracts are at various stages of documentation,” said General Chauhan.

A dependable space ecosystem within the nation was growing, he said, adding that there were 204 start-ups in the space sector with 54 additions in 2023 itself.

“In 2023, we as a nation invested $123 million in the sector,” he said, adding that the Indian space economy was currently estimated to be around $8.4 billion and was expected to grow to $44 billion by 2033.

The seminar was organised by CENJOWS, a think-tank under the CDS, along with the Satcom Industry Association-India.