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Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Parliament set for stormy session?
Good morning, Parliament reconvenes today, and tensions are already high. The government has agreed to the Opposition's demand to discuss Operation Sindoor, India's cross-border strike in May against terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. However, other demands remain unresolved. The Opposition is pushing for a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as discussions on US President Donald Trump's claim of mediating the ceasefire and concerns over electoral roll revisions in Bihar. Defending Modi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the PM is 'always present in Parliament, even if not in the House,' barring foreign travel. He added, 'It's not right to drag him into every issue.' Despite the friction, Rijiju said the government is open to discussions and has urged the Opposition to let the House function smoothly. Also on the table are likely to be the impeachment motions against two judges: Justice Yashwant Varma, embroiled in the cash-at-home row, and Justice Shekhar Yadav, accused of hate speech at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad event. With critical issues at hand, it remains to be seen whether dialogue will prevail over disruption. On that note, let's get to the rest of today's edition. In a bold move towards high-tech warfare, the Indian Army is preparing for a significant technological upgrade, motivated by key insights from Operation Sindoor. As the battlefield develops, emphasis is shifting to smarter, faster, AI-driven combat tactics and enhanced satellite surveillance. AI on the frontlines: The Army has developed a detailed roadmap to deploy AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data Analytics in key areas, including drone swarming (coordinated drone missions), battlefield monitoring, combat simulations, and troop training. Crucially, the focus will be on faster, real-time data-backed decision-making, with AI tools expected to help condense long reports, detect unusual patterns and threats, and analyse feed from drones or satellites. On the watch: It is believed that Pakistan gained access to China's live satellite feed during Operation Sindoor. While India's satellites, Cartosat and RISAT, have supported defence forces, they have limitations. To address these issues, the Army plans to collaborate with global commercial satellite providers, such as Maxar Technologies, to improve surveillance capabilities. Kanhaiya Kumar has had a dynamic political arc, beginning with his days at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), though he would say his political journey started even before his birth, when he was 'assigned a caste, religion and gender'. Kumar has since contested two elections, one with the CPI and another with the Congress. Though he has lost both, he remains hopeful of a win. Kumar, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) in-charge, is expected to play a key role for the Congress in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. He joined The Indian Express for the latest Idea Exchange session to discuss his political ideology, concerns over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, and the incarceration of student activist Umar Khalid. Handover: Former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha was once a confidant of JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar before he left the party in 2023. Kushwaha remains a constituent of the NDA, and on Sunday, he had an interesting suggestion: Nitish should hand over the reins of the party to his son, Nishant Kumar. Dual roles: Former Union Minister Smriti Irani is set to reprise her role as Tulsi Virani in a reboot of the popular TV soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Her character in the first iteration of the Hindi drama made her a household name. She speaks to The Indian Express about her return to acting and how she balances the dual role of actor and politician. Foolproof: The Election Commission, while announcing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, stated that it needed to ensure all voters met the age and citizenship eligibility criteria. However, an affidavit filed by Jharkhand's Chief Electoral Officer in the High Court attests that EC's 'clear safeguards' prevent enrolment of ineligible persons. It also underlined the limits of an Electoral Registration Officer's (ERO's) powers to question or initiate an inquiry into an individual's citizenship. Cropped: Until about six months ago, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was still grappling with stubborn inflation, mainly due to persistently high food prices. That made it difficult for the central bank to consider cutting interest rates. However, the surplus monsoon in 2024 followed, leading to a strong agricultural season and providing much-needed relief on the food front. As a result, food inflation has eased and is expected to stay low for now. We explain the factors behind this welcome shift. ♟️ The king falls: When World Champion D Gukesh defeated chess titan Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess, many had called it 'luck'. A video of Carlsen's regrettable show of frustration at the end of the match went viral and soon became a meme template on social media. But subsequent losses at the hands of Indian players have shown cracks in the Norwegian's aura of invincibility. India's soft-spoken, bespectacled rising star R Praggnanandha has defeated the World No. 1 twice in the ongoing Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. My colleague, Mayank Chaudhary, writes that Pragg may be the most competent Indian to take on the world's best player. Read. 🎧 Before you go, do tune in to the latest '3 Things' podcast episode. Today's lineup: a phone-tapping operation in Telangana, warnings over samosas and jalebis, and a hospital visit row in Jharkhand. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta
Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
To boost surveillance, Govt taps global firms for high-resolution satellite imagery
With high-resolution satellite imagery proving to be indispensable in evolving battlefield situations, the government is learnt to have reached out to multiple global commercial earth-observation satellite players for sourcing it. The initiation of talks with these satellite imagery providers comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor in May, where it has been inferred that China provided live inputs through satellite support to Pakistan. Senior Army officials have since said that when the DGMO-level talks were on, Pakistan flagged information about 'specific vectors' on the Indian side that were being primed and readied for action, likely from satellite inputs facilities by China. 'We are in talks with commercial satellite imagery providers. We have to deepen our surveillance measures,' an official told The Indian Express. The objective of these discussions is to extend the surveillance envelope and be able to do real-time surveillance at the time of conflicts for more efficient military actions, officials said. The move likely includes Maxar Technologies, which operates some of the world's most advanced Earth observation satellites that can capture images with 30-centimetre resolution, detailed enough to discern targets such as infrastructure, buildings, artillery gun systems and even vehicles. When contacted by The Indian Express, Maxar's spokesperson said they 'don't comment on contract negotiations'. While India's satellites, including the Cartosat and RISAT, have played a big role in helping defence forces to strategise, track enemy mobilisation and confirm strike impact, while maintaining real-time situational awareness which prevented any major damage to the country's military assets, these domestic satellites face some limitations in their capabilities. The Cartosat-3 satellite was designed to offer resolution of up to 30-centimetre, but is claimed to provide good quality imagery at about 50 centimetres. Also, Cartosat-3 operates alone, which limits how frequently it can scan the same area, something that is crucial during fast-paced military engagements where the battlefield is limited to a specific sector. Visibility is crucial, which the Pakistanis are believed to have with Chinese inputs. India's satellites, including the Cartosat and RISAT, have played a big role in helping defence forces to strategise and maintain real-time situational awareness, but there are some limitations in their capabilities. The move to rope in global players is aimed at plugging these gaps. India is already working on upgrading its satellite capabilities and has fast-tracked deployment of 52 surveillance satellites under the SBS (Space Based Surveillance)-III programme after Operation Sindoor, to enable efficient and enhanced monitoring of land and sea borders, with stronger imaging and all-weather functionalities. 'They will start launching the satellites from next year onwards and the deployment of all satellites will be completed by 2029,' the official said. In October last year, the Union Cabinet approved $3.2 billion for the SBS-III programme to develop next-generation satellites over the next decade. Under the programme, ISRO will manufacture and launch the first 21 satellites, while private companies will handle the remaining 31. The Defence Space Agency will oversee the operation of the newly launched satellite system. Aanchal Magazine is Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and reports on the macro economy and fiscal policy, with a special focus on economic science, labour trends, taxation and revenue metrics. With over 13 years of newsroom experience, she has also reported in detail on macroeconomic data such as trends and policy actions related to inflation, GDP growth and fiscal arithmetic. Interested in the history of her homeland, Kashmir, she likes to read about its culture and tradition in her spare time, along with trying to map the journeys of displacement from there. ... Read More Anil Sasi is National Business Editor with the Indian Express and writes on business and finance issues. He has worked with The Hindu Business Line and Business Standard and is an alumnus of Delhi University. ... Read More
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
India to fast-track 52 military satellites for better surveillance at borders
After defence forces realised the need for more precision surveillance during Operation Sindoor, the Union government has ordered the fast-tracking of the launch of 52 dedicated surveillance satellites, enhancing round-the-clock monitoring of coastline and land borders. In October last year, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee approved $3.2 billion for the SBS-III programme to develop next-generation satellites over the next decade. Under the programme, ISRO will manufacture and launch the first 21 satellites, while private companies will handle the remaining 31. The Defence Space Agency (DSA) will oversee the operation of the newly launched satellite system. 'We have asked the private companies and ISRO for early launch of satellites. These new satellites will add a next-generation radar imaging capability that will help in all-weather and day-night surveillance. We are expecting first set of satellites to be launched by 2026,' said a senior official. The official added that the new satellites will be using artificial intelligence (AI) to make smarter decisions and improve overall performance and efficiency in space. During Operation Sindoor, satellite-based surveillance helped Indian defence forces to act swiftly by offering accurate intelligence, including the trajectory and movement of drones and missiles. After the successful implementation of SBS-III, India will become more self-reliant and reduce its dependence on other countries. It will help focus more clearly and accurately on the Pakistan and China border and the Indian Ocean Region. During the Operation Sindoor, it was claimed that China provided satellite support to Pakistan. India's satellites, like the Cartosat and RISAT, helped defence forces to track enemy mobilisation, confirm strike impact, and maintain real-time situational awareness, which prevented any major damage to the country's military assets.
The Diplomat
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Eyes in Orbit: Rethinking India's Strategic Blind Spot in Low Earth Space
In an era where the geometry of power is tilting skyward, the nations with eyes in orbit will be the ones that define what comes next. In modern conflict, power is no longer just projected from aircraft carriers or missile silos – it now comes from constellations in orbit. What was once the preserve of scientific prestige has quietly become one of the most contested spaces in global security. Low Earth Orbit (LEO), long regarded as a domain for civilian exploration or telecommunications, is now at the center of how states perceive, understand, and influence the world around them. Space-enabled intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) is increasingly the difference between decisive action and delayed reaction. And yet, as this shift accelerates, India still finds itself looking up, without the persistent orbital visibility that modern strategic competition demands. The message was hard to miss during Operation Sindoor. The operation – marked by the use of long-range munitions and drone strikes – was a signal of how far Indian kinetic capabilities have come. But it also revealed something missing: an integrated, space-based ISR backbone to support precision over time, not just in isolated moments. Without a persistent layer of real-time orbital awareness, tactical excellence risks being episodic rather than systemic. In environments where minutes matter, gaps in space-based vision can quietly shape outcomes on the ground. To be clear, India isn't starting from zero. Satellite platforms like RISAT, Cartosat, and GSAT-7A have brought valuable capabilities, from radar imaging to military communications. But they aren't built for today's tempo. Their orbits, data latency, and limited revisit rates mean they're not well suited for real-time tracking of fast-moving threats. They're excellent tools for a different era of conflict. This matters because the race is already well underway. As of 2025, more than 10,000 active satellites orbit Earth, more than half launched in just the last five years. Since the Cold War's earliest satellite launches, orbital intelligence has been a marker of power. That hasn't changed. What has changed is the speed, the players, and the stakes. Ukraine has demonstrated how even modest access to commercial LEO imagery can help level the playing field. China's Yaogan constellation now provides a sweeping view of both land and sea in the Indo-Pacific. For India, the absence of a comparable real-time ISR constellation leaves its planners at a disadvantage. Consider Ukraine again. Without the Starlink satellite network, much of Ukraine's drone-based ISR and long-range precision targeting would not have functioned. Over time, Starlink became the backbone of Ukraine's 21st-century military enterprise. It restored the internet and enabled persistent surveillance and communications in a contested battlespace. Without Starlink, there would have been no real-time battlefield awareness, no guided drone strikes, and no resilience in the face of high-tech disruption. Revisit time – the time it takes to receive new satellite imagery of the same location – dropped from hours to minutes. Individual soldiers were empowered to conduct precision strikes using lightweight drones. Space made this possible – not in a decade, but in months. India cannot afford to miss this lesson. Part of the challenge is structural. India's space program has been a source of national pride, with a focus, rightly, on scientific progress and developmental impact. But that tradition, while admirable, has also kept space at arm's length from national security thinking. The civil-military divide in this domain is real, and the pace of institutional change has been incremental. Compared to peers who have embraced the dual-use logic of space, India still approaches orbital capabilities with caution. And yet, the potential to close this gap is within reach. The country's growing space tech sector – startups like Pixxel, Skyroot, and Agnikul – is building what looks very much like a future-ready ecosystem: small satellites, modular launch systems, and high-resolution payloads. In other places, those ingredients have been enough to transform ISR access almost overnight. The West has moved on, with the private sector leading the launch of innovation and the deployment of military-grade ISR systems. This evolution has accelerated the concept of civil-military fusion. The space domain, particularly LEO, is emerging as the new high ground in deterrence and warfighting. Just as hilltops once provided better visibility and intelligence in ground warfare, space provides that advantage on a planetary scale. Satellites in LEO enable persistent surveillance, hyperspectral imaging, jamming-resilient communications, and real-time data for AI-powered targeting. The strategic rewards are not only military; they reshape how nations exert influence, maintain credibility, and resist coercion. The case for orbital ISR extends beyond borders. As India deepens its engagement across the Indo-Pacific – through maritime security efforts, regional partnerships, and crisis management frameworks – persistent visibility will matter. And in a world where a handful of major powers increasingly govern LEO, the ability to see independently is also the ability to act independently. The power to share what you see, when you choose to, can reinforce deterrence, build trust, or correct misinformation – all on your terms. Of course, the domain is getting crowded. Anti-satellite weapons are real, cyber threats to space assets are growing, and orbital congestion is no longer theoretical. But these challenges only make one thing clearer: in future conflicts, deterrence will rest as much on what a country can see as on what it can strike. Attribution, early warning, and the control of escalation – all of it flows through space. India's 2047 ambition to be a developed, technologically sovereign, and globally influential power will hinge in part on its ability to command the invisible domain. Because in an era where the geometry of power is tilting skyward, the nations with eyes in orbit will be the ones that define what comes next.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Space-tech companies get an opening as India seeks more eyes in the sky
After Operation Sindoor , there is a growing push to enhance India's satellite-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Lt Gen AK Bhatt (Retd), Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA), told ET that while India currently operates around 10–11 defence satellites , mostly from the Cartosat and RISAT series which are one of the bests—"revisit times are long," and there is an urgent need for more satellites to ensure persistent coverage. "The Space Based Surveillance (SBS-III) program is critical, but with a 4–5 year timeline, there's pressure to fast-track it and reduce dependence on foreign or commercial satellite data after the escalations between the two countries," Bhatt said who was also former director general of military operation (DGMO), who oversaw the Doklam crisis. He added that the upcoming 52 satellites under SBS-III will be owned and operated by India, offering real-time access to imagery from both low Earth and geostationary orbits. The private sector will play a big role in the surveillance program as 31 satellites will be made by three firms. The remaining 21 will come from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Experts said accurate satellite imagery plays a critical role in identifying enemy locations, planning operations, and confirming if the target has hit the intended spot. It serves as a reliable layer of intelligence even during active conflicts, complementing drones and ground-based radars, they explained.
