India must become self-reliant in space data needs: IN-SPACe chief Goenka

Space sector regulator IN-SPACe's chairman Pawan Goenka on Monday said India faces significant gaps in meeting all its space data needs and remains heavily reliant on foreign providers.

Addressing the GeoSmart India 2024 conference in Hyderabad, he also said without the geospatial industry growing, India cannot achieve its vision of being a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

"Are all our data needs met today? My answer is definitely not... Affordability, low resolution data, high resolution data -- not enough, Goenka said.

He said despite abundant data from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), it falls short of providing "anytime, anywhere, any resolution" capabilities.

Goenka said one of the first steps a country must take is to become self-reliant in data.

"Currently, ISRO is the only Indian source, and there is a high dependency on foreign sources. I am not suggesting that we generate all the data ourselves, but all strategic data must be produced from sources within India," he said.

Some progress has already been made, and while part of it will happen organically, some efforts will require a little push from the government, Goenka added.

"Our vision has to be no gap in data of any kind, cutting edge in providing geospatial solutions widely used by the Indian government, businesses, and the world," the In-SPACe chairman said.