New Delhi [India], April 7 : Stressing on the need for developing a space culture, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Monday said that space is emerging as a new domain that will dominate warfare in times to come.
Speaking at the third edition of the 'Indian DefSpace Symposium 2025, General Chauhan said, "We need 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's 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."
"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. Initiatives like the launch of satellites for ISR purposes in partnership with ISRO and the private industry are underway. 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," he emphasized.
Jayant Patil, Chairman, Indian Space Association (ISpA) asserted that 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. The Indian industry has already delivered technologies like surveillance and communication satellites, jammers, and tracking radars, proving its capability. Going forward, collaboration between public and private sectors will be key to accelerating innovation and enhancing national security through space," Patil said.
Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari (retd.), Former Chief of the Air Staff said that with satellites shrinking in size but growing in capability, the country is 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. In today's complex and contested space environment, where the line between civilian and military use is blurring, resilience, collaboration, and innovation are no longer optional -- they are imperative. The private sector and startups, with support from platforms like ISpA, will be key drivers in building India's secure and self-reliant space future," Chaudhari said.
AVM Pawan Kumar, Director General, Defence Space Agency highlighted that India's defence space vision is a convergence of strategic necessity, technological innovation, economic opportunity, and collaborative ambition.
"With a clear decadal roadmap focused on ISR, PNT, secure communication, space weather, and space situational awareness, we are developing persistent surveillance systems, software-defined payloads, encrypted platforms--including post-quantum solutions--and resilient regional navigation networks. These are not isolated technologies, but mission-driven capabilities vital to both defence and civil domains. This ecosystem must remain user-driven--guided by the operational realities of our armed forces," Kumar said.
"As 80 per cent of defence space data is consumed by the strategic community, their involvement in shaping requirements and testing systems is critical. Our approach must blend speed with security, innovation with integration," he added.