Amid India-Pakistan tensions, 10 satellites continuously working to ensure India's security: Isro chief

NEW DELHI: Amid Indo-Pak tensions, Isro chairman V Narayanan on Sunday said 10 satellites are continuously working round-the-clock for the strategic purpose to ensure the safety and security of citizens of the country.

Addressing the 5th convocation ceremony of Central Agricultural University (CAU) at Agartala, the Isro chief said, “If we want to ensure the safety of our country, we have to serve through our satellites. We have to monitor our 7,000 km seashore areas. Without satellite and drone technology, we can’t achieve many things.”

As of now, Isro has launched a total of 127 Indian satellites, including those from private operators and academic institutions. Of these, 22 are in low earth orbit (LEO) and 29 are in geo-synchronous earth orbit, owned by the central govt. India has around a dozen spy or surveillance satellites. They include Cartosat and RISAT series, as well as EMISAT and MicroSat series, which are designed for specific surveillance tasks.

Just days ago, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka had said at Global Space Exploration Conference 2025 that India would put in orbit a constellation of 52 satellites over the next five years to step up space-based surveillance capabilities.

“We have fairly strong capabilities already. It is just that it needs constant enhancement,” Goenka said. He said the plan is intended at increasing surveillance capabilities of the defence sector. “So far, this was primarily done by Isro. We will bring in the private sector as we move forward,” he said. The new satellites will help Indian Army, Navy and Air Force track enemy movements, monitor borders and improve real-time coordination during military operations.

Narayanan’s statement has come at a time when Isro is scheduled to launch another surveillance satellite, EOS-09 (RISAT-1B) radar imaging satellite, into a sun-synchronous orbit on May 18 that will boost India’s surveillance powers along its sensitive borders.

Saying that advanced satellite technologies are required for the common man's development, Narayanan predicted that before India celebrates 100 years of its independence, the country would be a master in every field, the country would be an outstanding contributor to the world.

Isro and its several satellites are operational for the development of northeastern states and the execution of many projects in the region, he added. He urged students that after taking degrees, their responsibility is to give something to society.