Indian Armed Forces Invest ₹25,000 Crore to Increase Defense Space Capabilities

Defense News ,India :- The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan, announced that the Indian armed forces are allocating ₹25,000 crore to meet their defense space requirements. This includes developing surveillance satellites and establishing secure communication networks.

Speaking at the DefSat Conference and Expo organized by SIA-India, Gen Chauhan encouraged India's private space sector to seize this opportunity and contribute to making the country self-reliant in the emerging dual sector.

Gen Chauhan outlined the armed forces' needs, urging the industry to collaborate in enhancing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. This involves creating multi-sensor satellites, launch-on-demand services, and a robust network of ground stations. He emphasized the importance of developing indigenous positioning, navigation, and timing services by strengthening the NAVIC constellation.

"We can't depend on foreign constellations for our navigation needs. Building a secure, reliable, and resilient Navic constellation is crucial for navigation, synchronization, and long-range engagement," Gen Chauhan stated.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Australian High Commissioner to India Phillip Green, National Institute of Advanced Studies Director Shailesh Nayak, and senior officers from the armed forces.

Gen Chauhan highlighted the need for private industry involvement, stating, "Our estimated outlay in the coming years will be over Rs 25,000 crore. This is the right time for the private industry to utilize this opportunity and build a highly capable Atmanirbhar Defence Space ecosystem."

He also emphasized the growth potential in high-speed, secure, satellite-assisted communication. "Investments in satellite internet, 5G ecosystem-enabling satellites, high throughput satellites, and LEO satellites should be undertaken to provide reliable and resilient coverage," Gen Chauhan added. He further stressed the importance of launch capabilities and future investments in launch-on-demand capabilities.