ISRO Chairman Highlights Role of Satellites in National Security and Development:

Suspense crime, Digital Desk : During the 5th convocation of Central Agricultural University located in Agartala, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said, “For strategic and defense purposes, 10 satellites are continuously monitoring Indian territory.” He also added that beyond surveillance, drone and satellite technologies are instrumental to safeguarding India’s 7,000-kilometer coastal line and its people.

India’s Satellite Achievements So Far

India has so far proudly put into orbit 127 satellites, among which are from private and educational institutions. As of today:

22 satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

29 satellites are stationed in Geo-Synchronous Earth Orbit (GEO)

These systems serve a wide variety of purposes like defense monitoring, communication, and education.

Specialized Surveillance Satellites in Operation

India has around 12 active surveillance satellites. Some examples are:

Cartosat series

Risat series

EMISAT

Microsat series

Each satellite enhances national security by being tailor-made to fulfill specific intelligence and monitoring operations.

Planned Expansion: Establishing 52 New Satellites for Defense Surveillance Purposes

Pawan Kumar Goenka, the Chairman of IN-SPACe, revealed during the Global Space Exploration Conference 2025 that India plans to launch 52 new satellites in the next five years. This comes with the hope to:

Increase surveillance understanding of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Enhance border region monitoring.
Assist real-time coordination of troops.

Goenka also stated that while ISRO has spearheaded satellite missions ISRO, the private sector will take over in the coming years.

Next Mission: RISAT-1B Border Surveillance Satellite

ISRO has planned to place EOS-09 (RISAT-1B) radar imaging satellite on a Sun-synchronous orbit on May 18. This mission will optimize India’s sensitive monitoring borders capabilities.

India’s Space Technology Vision For A Strong National Defense Future

Narayanan believes that India will be a leading contributor to world science and technology by its 100th independence anniversary. He also pointed out the urgent need for developing northeastern states and ISRO’s role through satellite initiatives. He also praised students stating that with the help of space technology, national evolution is possible.