The Quad has taken a concrete step into the Pacific’s digital space, backing a nationwide 4G and 5G rollout in Palau that will use Open RAN architecture, the first such deployment in the Pacific Islands. Palau’s telecom operator has selected three American firms to build the network, following technical assistance supported by the United States. The project is expected to be operational by early 2027. What makes the move significant is not just the technology, but who is standing behind it. India, Japan and Australia have formally joined the initiative alongside the United States. India came on board at the…
Author: Huma Siddiqui
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India has emerged as a global reference point for inclusive artificial intelligence, particularly for countries in the Global South seeking to align innovation with development goals, believes Paula Bogantes Zamora, Costa Rica’s Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications. In an exclusive interaction with StratNewsGlobal Tech on the sidelines of the Global AI summit in New Delhi, she said at a time when governments are rethinking economic strategies around emerging technologies, the message of inclusive AI, championed at the highest political level, is resonating far beyond national borders. Describing India as a “point of reference” across sectors ranging from education…
As New Delhi prepares to host the AI Summit next week, India’s space industry is positioning artificial intelligence as a key driver of innovation, safety, and competitiveness. Industry leaders say AI is no longer an optional tool, it has become the “operating layer” of the country’s growing space economy. AI Reshapes The Space Value Chain Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd.), Director General of the Indian Space Association, highlighted how AI is transforming the entire value chain. He explained that Indian companies are increasingly using AI for everything from onboard satellite processing and automated image interpretation to predictive satellite health monitoring and…
India’s space and geospatial sector have sought fiscal and policy interventions to support a fast growing but capital-intensive industry. Since policy liberalisation, structural issues around taxation, financing and demand creation continue to constrain scale. The Space Industry Association of India (SIA-India), has called for closer alignment between fiscal policy and the economic realities of space activities. “Representing satellite operators, launch service providers, manufacturers, startups and downstream service companies, the association acknowledges that as the sector transitions from a largely mission-centric model to a globally competitive commercial space economy, our fiscal frameworks must evolve to reflect the capital-intensive, long-gestation nature of…
India’s latest drogue parachute qualification tests for the Gaganyaan programme place the country firmly among the small group of spacefaring nations that operate human-class re-entry and recovery systems. With these tests, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has demonstrated that its approach to astronaut safety now stands alongside mature systems such as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, Russia’s Soyuz and NASA’s Orion. While all of these vehicles follow the broadly similar philosophy of a blunt-body capsule slowed by a multi-stage parachute system, the engineering choices, test strategies and operational goals behind them reflect very different national priorities and mission profiles. On 18–19…
India-Russia space cooperation has evolved into one of the world’s most significant partnerships, spanning five decades of achievements. In 1975, Russia (then the Soviet Union) launched India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, aboard a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket, kick-starting India’s space program. This foundational achievement was followed by Rakesh Sharma’s historic spaceflight on Soyuz T-11 in 1984, making him the first Indian citizen in space aboard a Soviet spacecraft. India-Russia space cooperation spans five decades, from the 1975 Aryabhata satellite launch to planned missions through 2040, demonstrating sustained commitment to joint exploration across satellite, human spaceflight, navigation, lunar, and planetary missions. The partnership…
Earlier this year, the United States Space Force released a landmark doctrine: Space Warfighting: A Framework for Planners, that signals the biggest shift in American military thinking since the Cold War. For the first time, U.S. strategy formally defines outer space not as a support layer for terrestrial operations, but as a contested warfighting domain where control is decisive. The document argues that future conflicts will hinge on achieving and sustaining space superiority, elevating orbital dominance to the twenty-first century equivalent of air superiority. In short: space is no longer just the high ground, it is the ground where victory itself may…
As the European Union moves toward finalising its first-ever Space Act, India’s satellite and space industry has urged Brussels to ensure that the new framework remains open, predictable, and aligned with the aspirations of trusted international partners. The intervention comes at a strategic moment, just months before the India–EU Summit scheduled for early next year, where space cooperation is expected to feature prominently on the agenda. The Space Industry Association of India (SIA-India), together with Belgium-based Grayspace Law & Policy Consulting, has submitted a detailed joint response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the Draft EU Space Act. The…
India’s private space sector crossed a historic threshold on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Skyroot Aerospace’s Infinity Campus, now the largest private rocket manufacturing facility in the country, and unveiled Vikram-1, India’s first privately built commercial orbital rocket. The inauguration represents one of the most significant milestones achieved under India’s NewSpace Policy, which seeks to boost the nation’s share in the global space economy five-fold to $44 billion by 2033 by enabling private-sector-led innovation, manufacturing, and launch services. Calling the new facility “a symbol of India’s new thinking and the power of youth,” the Prime Minister said the…
Brazil is set to enter a new era in its space journey, with the country getting ready to conduct its first commercial orbital rocket launch soon. The launch which was scheduled for Nov 22, has now been pushed to December 17th. A top diplomat has confirmed “The decision to extend the launch window was made “jointly and based on technical assessments.” Adding, “General Coordinator of the Operation, Rogério Moreira Cazo, explains that the tests to validate the avionics systems indicated the “need for improvements to the vehicle before the flight,” he said, stating that adjustments like this are common in…