Over-reliance on Western commercial satellites leaves developing nations exposed during geopolitical crises, making a sovereign public network essential for long-term security. During the conflict in the Persian Gulf in March 2026, leading commercial satellite imagery providers, particularly those in the United States space sector, put many international clients
space reforms
India’s space reforms expand commercialisation and not merely privatisation, preserving ISRO’s core mandate and state control over strategic R&D Since 2020, the Indian government has enacted space reforms, supplemented by the geospatial policy, the space policy, the streamlining of non-governmental financing mechanisms, and a wide
US shutter controls on geospatial imagery have cut off non-American customers overnight — a stark warning for India's commercially entangled space ecosystem. It is noteworthy that the apparent ceasefire of the 2026 Persian Gulf War on 8 April, while it may not culminate in "lasting peace,"
India’s Northeast frontier is emerging as a drone–satcom battlespace, demanding advanced anti-drone and jungle-warfare preparedness against externally enabled insurgent threats In a recent development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven foreign nationals, comprising one United States citizen and six Ukrainian citizens, who are accused of
The rise of geospatial shutter control and AI-enabled battlefield intelligence underscores why India must build sovereign, zero-trust geospatial capabilities through its forthcoming Defence Geospatial Agency. On 10 March 2026, when West Asia was witnessing projectiles flying in both directions across the Persian Gulf, the US-based geospatial company
The tech rainmakers descended on India with their alter egos and dystopian visions. Bharat's MANAV should know better than to burn their wings for the Icarus Complex. The most significant outcome of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 did not originate from the orchestrated sessions, exhibitions, or the
India’s turn to foreign LEO satcom for tele-education advances connectivity goals but raises strategic, cyber, and governance concerns, highlighting the need for a resilient mix of indigenous satellite and fibre-based digital education infrastructure Starlink India, the subsidiary of the global low-Earth-orbit internet service provider of
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A surge in global conflicts is driving unprecedented demand for solid rocket motors, reshaping missile stockpiles, defence manufacturing, and military space capabilities With the world’s biggest economies, the United States (US), Europe, China, and Russia, having transmutated into wartime economies, and conflicts remaining imminent across hotspots, there lies a
The formation of the US’ War Department has triggered a global recalibration of STEM talent migration. The United States (US) is a significant investor in research and development (R&D) across various sectors, and its military R&D is a key driver of its superpower status. As per
Colonial rule denied India a scientific future by blocking scientific discovery, sabotaging maritime power, suppressing knowledge systems, and keeping instruments of power out of our reach. Reclaiming that scientific autonomy is central to our civilisation’s progress. The thorn of colonialism that Bharat endured for 500 years gave us a
As megaconstellations crowd low-Earth orbit, India’s Bharatiya Antariksh Station may enter a future where debris, risk, and uninsurability define access to space. Three Chinese taikonauts, members of the Shenzhou-20 crew, supposed to return from the Tiangong Space Station to China on 5 November 2025, are now supposed
This is a Digital Book published by the Global Policy Journal and the Observer Research Foundation jointly as part of the GP-ORF Series. Read the book on the Observer Research Foundation website through this link - https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-arctic-at-a-crossroads-the-making-of-a-
The Indian space programme has taken a turn in 2020 when Modi’s government approved a series of measures to boost the sector and expand its industrial base. Now, with increased investment in the defence realm and the project of a national space station, New Delhi aims at becoming a
India’s space ambitions need more than vision—they need hard data. A secure, indigenous space econometrics system is key to safeguarding growth. The term ‘space economy’ was first introduced in the Union Budget speech of 2022, owing to its growing popularity in India. Given the strong indicators in favour
Pakistan’s wild claim that India muzzled global satellites after Operation Sindoor has backfired. In a world where nothing in space escapes scrutiny, Rawalpindi’s hoaxes only deepen its international embarrassment and expose its fading credibility. The enormous magnitude of India’s swift Operation Sindoor has made strategic analysts worldwide
This policy brief explores pathways for India and Europe to elevate their long-standing but underutilized space cooperation into a structured partnership. It argues that converging political, economic, and security interests ranging from human spaceflight and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor to resilient satellite communications and space situational awareness
As fragile states embrace satellite internet, digital connectivity risks turning from a tool of progress into a new form of colonisation. The global satellite communications sector is projected to grow at a rate of 4 per cent from US$133 billion in 2023 to reach US$218 billion by 2035.
As America turns to resource extraction, India seeks to steer a multipolar world away from predation. In November 2024, as the US Presidential election campaign reached its peak, American social media chatter in support of Donald Trump began drawing overstated comparisons between his political journey and ‘The Hero’s Journey,
Pakistan’s sabre-rattling from DC shows that without strategic autonomy, India's Space startups, bound to overseas partners, risk eroding the very independence the programme was built to protect. India has had big plans for its space programme over the past five years. The Indian government implemented space