ISRO Chairman Highlights Industry Role in ISRO Navigation Growth

ISRO Navigation efforts received a major push today as Chairman S. Somanath Narayanan praised private players for entering the demanding field of spacecraft and defence navigation.

He said their role would strengthen India’s path toward becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Narayanan stressed that navigation systems are among the most complex technologies in aerospace, and ISRO Navigation work alone cannot meet the country’s full needs. He welcomed Ananth Technologies’ move into the sector, calling it a key step toward cutting reliance on imports.

He spoke after opening Ananth Technologies’ new Centre of Excellence in Navigation at Kinfra Park in Thiruvananthapuram. The Hyderabad-based firm works closely with ISRO, DRDO, and BrahMos.

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Narayanan said he inspected the facility himself and found it “world-class,” adding that it would play a vital role in future national projects. India has long depended on foreign navigation systems for space missions as well as missile and defense platforms. Indigenous development, he said, would help reduce long-term costs.

He explained that early-stage development would match global costs because only a few units are built at first, but large-scale production would bring prices down notably.

Sharing updates on the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, Narayanan said 8,000 tests have been completed so far, covering propulsion, simulations, structural checks, and acoustic trials. ISRO is now closing in on final software development. The mission is targeting 2027, with three unmanned flights scheduled before the crewed launch. Work on the first unmanned mission is already in progress.

Narayanan also confirmed that ISRO plans to launch the first private PSLV-N1 this financial year. He added that preparations for the BlueBird mission are on, though a launch date is yet to be fixed.