5 days ago

India Cannot Become a Space Power on Imported Technology, Space Chief Warns

India’s ambitions to emerge as a leading space power will remain vulnerable unless it develops the ability to manufacture critical space technologies at home, former ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath said on Tuesday, warning that continued dependence on imported components poses risks to both national security and the country’s long-term economic competitiveness.

Speaking at IEEE SPACE 2026 in Bengaluru, Somanath said India had demonstrated its capabilities through successful launch vehicles, planetary missions and satellite programmes, but had yet to establish a robust domestic ecosystem for producing many of the sophisticated technologies required for future space missions. “We are not building many such items in their original R&D form. We are buying huge amounts of items,” he said.

Among the technologies where India continues to rely heavily on overseas suppliers, he listed cameras, propulsion systems, solar panels, sensors, gyroscopes and advanced composite structures. Such dependence, he said, leaves strategic programmes exposed to supply-chain disruptions and delays, with development timelines often stretching beyond two years because essential components are not readily available within the country.

Somanath argued that bridging these gaps would require a sustained national commitment to research and development rather than incremental improvements. “All the great things that will come about will come out of the investment that we make,” he said, stressing that scientific research should be viewed as the foundation of technological sovereignty.

He said the benefits of space research extend well beyond the sector itself, supporting advances in communications, navigation, weather forecasting, disaster management, agriculture, healthcare, clean energy, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure. India’s growing private space ecosystem also needs stronger institutional support, he said.

While nearly 400 space startups have emerged as part of the country’s broader innovation ecosystem, they require long-term mentorship, stable policy support, greater private investment in research and easier access to advanced laboratories to become globally competitive technology companies. Looking ahead, Somanath identified reusable launch vehicles, advanced propulsion systems, next-generation materials and metal additive manufacturing as technologies that will determine India’s competitiveness over the coming decades.

He also pointed to the increasing role of artificial intelligence and robotics in satellite servicing, orbital assembly, debris removal and autonomous mission management. The former ISRO chief also cautioned that future competition in space would be shaped as much by secure digital infrastructure as by rockets and spacecraft.

“We need to strengthen our digital infrastructure—including the space domain, cyber domain, sensor domain and intelligence gathering domain—substantially,” he said, warning that cyberattacks and data breaches pose growing risks to space assets.

Somanath said India should aspire to become not only a launch provider but also a global hub for space manufacturing and advanced research. Achieving that goal, he said, would require sustained investment in indigenous innovation, stronger collaboration between government, industry and academia, and a long-term commitment to building technologies at home rather than relying on imported capabilities.

Subramanya Joshi