Indian armed forces have allocated Rs 25,000 crore to bolster their defense capabilities in space, said the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. He announced this at the DefSat Conference and Expo organized by SIA-India, encouraging India's private space sector to seize the opportunity to achieve self-reliance in this sector.

Gen Chauhan outlined the armed forces' needs, calling on the industry to contribute to enhancing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities through the development of multi-sensor satellites, launch-on-demand services, and a robust network of ground stations.

Emphasizing the importance of indigenous positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services, Gen Chauhan highlighted the need to strengthen the NAVIC system. He stressed that reliance on foreign constellations for PNT services was unsustainable, advocating for the development of a secure and reliable Navic constellation.

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

Gen Chauhan projected future expenditure exceeding Rs 25,000 crore to meet upcoming requirements, urging the private industry to capitalize on this opportunity. He emphasized the need to build a highly capable indigenous defense space ecosystem.

General Chauhan further pointed out the growth potential in high-speed, secure satellite-assisted communication. He called for investments in satellite internet, satellites supporting the 5G ecosystem, high-throughput satellites, and LEO satellites to ensure reliable and resilient coverage.

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