At the Indian Defence Space Symposium in New Delhi on Thursday, India’s senior defence and space leadership warned that space is rapidly becoming integral to modern warfare and pressed for an accelerated build-out of sovereign, resilient capabilities to reduce strategic vulnerability.
In a virtual address, General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, highlighted the need for distributed and resilient space architectures supported by inter-satellite links, redundancy, and rapid replenishment capabilities. He said that future space systems would increasingly be co-developed with industry and startups, rather than being driven solely by government agencies. Chauhan emphasised that space must be treated as a continuous operational domain, with capabilities that are artificial intelligence-enabled, cyber-secure, and sovereign.
It focused on the theme “Commercial Space Operations: Navigating Threats and Military Employment.” Discussions centred on the evolving threat landscape, including the growing use of space-based assets in global conflicts, and the role of commercial space in shaping military outcomes. Participants examined issues such as strategic communications, network-centric warfare, and space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in contested environments.
Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, described space as a “dominant domain” that could influence the outcome of future conflicts. He stressed the need for a whole-of-nation approach to bridge technological gaps and pointed out that India’s spending on research and development remains relatively low, at around 0.65 per cent of GDP. He called for increased investment in defence R&D to keep pace with global competitors.
Zubin A Minwalla, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations), highlighted the importance of speed, agility, and integration of private industry in building space capabilities. He said that the Defence Space Agency has evolved into a tri-service entity and is expected to transition into a full-fledged space command in the future. However, he acknowledged continued dependence on critical technologies and gaps in high-end indigenous systems, calling for greater focus on domestic development aligned with operational timelines.
Former Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria highlighted the need for structural changes in how India approaches space capability development. He argued that legacy processes are slowing progress and stressed the importance of technological sovereignty through indigenous design and manufacturing.
Industry representatives also emphasised the role of private sector participation. Rahul Vatts, Chief Regulatory Officer at Bharti Airtel and Vice Chairman of ISpA, pointed to the growing importance of satellite communications in both defence and economic domains. He said that India is entering a critical phase in deploying satellite communication services and stressed the need to ensure reliability, security, and supply chain resilience.
AK Bhatt, Director General of ISpA, said the symposium has emerged as a key platform for aligning operational requirements with industry capabilities. He highlighted the importance of reducing dependence on imports and strengthening indigenous industrial capacity.
Three reports were released focusing on emerging areas in the space sector. These included a joint report on in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM), which highlights opportunities for India in developing in-orbit services, and another on geospatial foundation models that explores the use of artificial intelligence in analysing Earth observation data. A third report summarised key outcomes from the India International Space Conclave 2025, focusing on policy, technology, and international collaboration.
The discussions at IDS 2026 indicate a broad consensus across government, military, and industry on the need for accelerated execution, deeper civil-military integration, and enhanced investment to build a self-reliant and competitive space ecosystem for India. |
