New Delhi: Finnish satellite company ICEYE, which operates the world’s largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation and has emerged as a major player in defence and security, announced the formal establishment of its Indian entity, ICEYE India, in New Delhi on Monday.
The company said the new entity will also serve as the platform for its plans to establish satellite manufacturing capability in the country. ICEYE intends to build production capacity in India to cater to the requirements of the defence, surveillance and environmental monitoring sectors, using local sourcing, Indian suppliers and local engineering talent.
ThePrint reported in October last year that the company planned to set up an Indian entity and was looking at local manufacturing.
ICEYE said the entity’s immediate priority is supporting India’s defence and intelligence customers to access advanced intelligence capabilities and solutions that strengthen national security and resilience, alongside broader engagement with the country’s space and defence ecosystem through supply-chain participation, technology validation, and local capability building.
Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE, said, “ICEYE India means real engineering and manufacturing capability on the ground. We’re excited to build this together with the government and local partners and to support India as it strengthens its own sovereign intelligence capability.”
ICEYE owns the world’s largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation.
SAR satellites are a type of Earth Observation satellite that use radar technology to create images of the Earth’s surface.
What makes it better than traditional optical satellites is that it can operate round the clock in all weather conditions while also penetrating clouds and thick vegetation.
The success of the company comes from building microsatellites that are smaller, faster, and cheaper to produce. This allows satellites to be used in clusters, providing much faster and more accurate data than traditional solutions.
It is learnt that ICEYE is offering its own satellite with full control to India, something that the company has done with other countries too.
This means the company will develop and launch micro-satellites and then hand them over to the Indian authority, which will have full control and sovereignty.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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