India is expanding its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability, with space-based systems forming a central pillar — an imperative that has become even more urgent in the wake of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, which culminated in intense hostilities with Pakistan between May 7 and 10.
According to Lt Gen A K Bhatt (Retd), director general of the Indian Space Association (Ispa), indigenous space assets such as the Cartosat-2C satellite, which provides high-resolution imagery, and Risat satellites, equipped with synthetic aperture radar (Sar) for all-weather, day-and-night surveillance, proved critical during the operation. However, their input had to be supplemented with imagery sourced from international commercial platforms.
This highlights the need for sufficient space-based assets to secure an advantage in modern conflict. It is in this context that Phase-III of India’s Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) programme enters the frame, aiming to place 52 satellites in orbit by the end of 2029 at the latest. The first satellite in the constellation could be launched as early as next year.
At present, India’s assets for space situational awareness provide its armed forces with strategic visibility. However, a significantly larger and more advanced mix of ground-based and space-based infrastructure, sensors, and platforms is urgently needed to ensure tactical and operational advantages in future conflicts.
This becomes especially critical in the light of an American assessment that, since the end of 2015, China’s orbital presence has grown by about 620 per cent — with nearly 900 satellites added. It is further assessed that the People’s Liberation Army benefits from over 510 ISR-capable satellites equipped with optical, multispectral, radar, and radio-frequency sensors — sharply enhancing Beijing’s ability to monitor Indian military activity.
Military doctrine has valued high ground since antiquity — and still does in the age of stealth, drones, and encryption. “Whenever you gain height, you gain a larger perspective,” said a defence source associated with India’s space-based capabilities. “The contest for higher ground — reaching it and securing continued access — remains crucial.”
An image captured by the Indian remote-sensing satellite Cartosat2, developed by Isro, shows key areas in and around the Kumbh Mela in 2019 (Photo: ISRO)
However, the source stresses that the country’s space ambitions must be seen through a wider lens. “First, the Cabinet Committee on Security’s October 2024 approval for SBS Phase-III predates Operation Sindoor. India’s planning in this regard is long-term, and not a reaction to any particular incident or flareup. Second, it reflects a natural evolution of India’s broader objective to leverage space in support of its aspiration to become a developed nation by 2047,” he explained.
He added that, unlike Cold War-era models such as the United States and the erstwhile Soviet Union, India’s approach to space has historically been rooted in civilian and developmental priorities. “Our space assets, including high-resolution imaging satellites, are not limited to military use. However, a nation must also be able to defend itself — and will naturally turn to such assets to protect its interests.”
In that context, he noted, defence planners are now working to establish persistent surveillance — the capability to continuously monitor India’s key areas of interest, including border regions, parts of neighbouring countries, and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This would involve observing specific locations multiple times at short intervals, even within a single day, with minimal gaps in coverage using a constellation of satellites. The interval between successive observations of the same location by a satellite’s sensors is known as its “revisit time”.
“We may not achieve this in five years alone, and it will have to be done in stages,” he said. “But Phase-III of the SBS programme marks a substantive step in that direction.” SBS Phase-III has been approved at a cost of ~26,968 crore and will involve the launch of 21 satellites built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and 31 by private companies. The constellation will comprise surveillance satellites, equipped with a mix of electro-optical and Sar sensors, operating on the low-Earth orbit (Leo), 160-2,000 kilometres.
Bhatt said that the surveillance expansion that SBS Phase-III will impart cannot be understated. “The Indian armed forces are aiming to significantly enhance their ISR capabilities, particularly over the sensitive northern and western borders, where current satellite coverage allows for revisit times of several days. This revisit time is expected to improve to 12-24 hours by 2030 with the deployment of 52 satellites under the SBS Phase-III constellation,” he explained.
However, he added that to meet security demands and ensure real-time situational awareness, there is a critical need to reduce revisit times to one-two hours. This, he underscored, will enable faster decision-making, improved threat detection, and more effective joint operations. “Achieving such capability will require a multilayered ISR approach that integrates satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, high-altitude pseudo satellites (Haps), and artificial intelligence-based analytics, supported by greater participation from the private sector in partnership with Isro and defence agencies.”
Private-sector participation is already being pushed forward under SBS Phase-III. “Industry response to the programme has given us hope. This has led to a certain share of the work being delegated to the private sector, though the core technology remains with Isro,” said the defence source, explaining that while satellites delivered by the private sector need to be tested to ensure they meet stringent standards, if they prove their mettle, there is no reason why future phases of the programme cannot see a greater share of the work delegated to them — perhaps even being entirely industry-driven — thereby freeing up Isro for other ambitious tasks.
Three Indian private companies or consortia have been shortlisted to build the industry’s share of 31 satellites, making SBS Phase-III the first instance of the private sector developing satellites for the country’s strategic requirements. The previous two phases of the SBS programme, involving the Cartosat and Risat satellites, were executed over the past two decades by Isro.
SBS Phase-III, however, is just the beginning. “As India’s economy grows, so will its area of interest and responsibility. We will require a genuinely larger number of satellites then. Consider that even 150 satellites will not be enough to cover any considerable portion of the globe,” explained the source.
The source underscored that, at present, the government seeks coverage of all immediate areas around the country and the broader IOR, and is positioning itself to progressively scale up India’s ISR capability through a multisensor, multiorbit system.
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 "Expanded space systems to secure the high ground")
