New Delhi: India will come out with a military space doctrine in the next two to three months while work is ongoing on a national military space policy, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan announced Monday.
“A seafaring culture or a maritime culture” helped the Portuguese, Spaniard, the English or the Dutch to dominate the world in the past, he said at the third edition of the Indian DefSpace Symposium. “Similarly, the aerospace culture led to the domination of air space by the US and European nations.”
“India has instituted reforms like the Defence Space Agency (DSA) and New Space India Limited (NSIL), fostering public-private partnerships DSA is working on bringing out a military space doctrine which hopefully should be able to get out in two or three months and we are also working on a national military space policy,” the CDS said.
General Chauhan also said that space is emerging as a new domain that will dominate warfare, adding that India needed to develop a ‘space culture’ that fosters new ideas and capabilities in space warfare.
“This culture is about seminal research, original doctrines, and strategies for space. It is not just about creating startups but about institutions and societies that ideate on space warfare. As military men, we must focus on Earth’s orbital space, enhancing military capabilities and protecting these assets from threats,” he said.
Initiatives like the launch of satellites for ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaiscance) purposes in partnership with ISRO and the private industry are underway, said General Chauhan. “Our strategy is clear—simulate domestic market and foster international cooperation and build up state-of-the-art infrastructure to position ourselves as a global leader in space.”
Organised by the Indian Space Association (ISpA), the three-day event aims to boost collaboration between defence and space sectors.
“India’s space sector is at an inflection point, and the defence industry is playing a pivotal role in shaping its future. With the government’s push for 52 dedicated military satellites and increasing private participation, we are building a secure, Atmanirbhar space ecosystem that’s ready to meet strategic challenges head-on,” Indian Space Association (ISpA) chairperson Jayant Patil said.
Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief V.R. Chaudhari stressed upon the country taking its own steps to bolster its space presence.
“With satellites shrinking in size but growing in capability, we’re witnessing a strategic shift from large satellites to proliferated, resilient constellations across multiple orbits. India must now seize the opportunity to lead in launch-on-demand capabilities, space-based 5G networks, onboard edge processing, and even quantum communications,” he said.
The former IAF chief added that in the present day’s complex and contested space environment, where the line between civilian and military use was blurring, resilience, collaboration, and innovation were no longer optional, they were imperative.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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