MAINS Current Affairs includes Building India’s Space Future & Govt’s AI Strategy Problem: Are Sovereign AI Models the Solution?

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

1. Building India’s Space Future

Context: India’s space programme has transformed into a symbol of technological self-reliance, strategic capability and global ambition.

• Over the last decade, India has expanded from a government-led space programme towards a commercial, innovation-driven space ecosystem involving private players.

India as an Emerging Global Space Power

Space Economy

• India’s space economy:
  • Current value: around $8 billion
  • Global share: 2–3%
  • Target: $40–45 billion within the next decade
  • Aim: 8% share of global space economy by 2030

Launch Capability

India has achieved self-reliance in space transportation through:

• PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)
• GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle)
• LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3)

Capabilities:

• Up to 10 tonnes payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
• Around 2 tonnes to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)

Lunar Exploration – The Chandrayaan Programme

• The foundation of India’s lunar journey was laid with Chandrayaan-1 in 2008, India’s first mission to the Moon.
  • The mission discovered evidence of water molecules and hydroxyl on the Moon’s surface. Further,Chandrayaan-2, launched in 2019, strengthened India’s lunar programme.
  • On 23 August 2023, Chandrayaan-3 made India the first country to achieve a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole and the fourth nation after the United States, Russia, and Chinato successfully soft-land on the lunar surface.

The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)

• On 24 September 2014, Mangalyaan successfully entered Martian orbit, making India the first country to reach Mars on its maiden attempt.
• With this achievement, ISRO becameonly the fourth space agency in the world to place a spacecraft in orbit around Mars after United States’ NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Aditya-L1: India’s First Solar Observatory

• Launched in 2023, the spacecraft was successfully placed in a halo orbitaround the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange Point, nearly 5 million kilometres from Earth.
  • The mission studies the solar corona, solar winds, and space weather phenomenathat influence Earth’s environment and technological systems.

Space Astronomy and Space Docking

• AstroSat, India’s first multi-wavelength space observatory, completed a decade in orbit in September 2025 and has contributed several important scientific discoveries.
• XPoSat,launched in 2024, further expanded India’s capabilities in X-ray astronomy.
• The Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX)made India the fourth nation after the United States, Russia, and China to demonstrate autonomous docking and undocking in space.

Venus Orbiter Mission

• The Venus Orbiter Mission, approved by the Government of India, is targeted for launch in
• The mission will study Venus’ geology, surface composition, atmosphere, ionosphere, and resurfacing processes.

Gaganyaan: India’s First Human Spaceflight Programme

• The mission aims to send up to three Indian astronauts into a 400-kilometre orbitfor up to three days before bringing them safely back to Earth. The programme includes two uncrewed missions and one crewed mission.
• India participated in theISRO-NASA supported Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station in 2025.
  • Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla travelled aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched by Falcon 9 in 2025.

National Space Station

• Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS)is India’s planned space station and a key pillar of Space Vision 2047.
• BAS will be a five-module space station in Low Earth Orbit, designed to support long-duration human space missions and advanced scientific research in microgravity.

Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV)

• ISRO’s RLV-TD programme marks a major step towards low-cost and reusable space transportation systems.
• ISRO successfully flight-tested RLV-TD in 2016from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, validating autonomous navigation, guidance and control systems, reusable thermal protection systems, and re-entry mission management technologies.

Indigenous Electronics and On-board Systems

• ISRO jointly with Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh developed VIKRAM3201, India’s first fully indigenous 32-bit space microprocessor, along withKALPANA32 for high-reliability space missions.
• This reduces dependence on foreign components and improves mission safety.

NavIC – India’s Indigenous Navigation System

• It provides accurate positioning, navigation, and timing services across India and up to1,500 kilometres beyond its borders.
• The system operates through a constellation of satellites providing continuous regional coverage.

Private Sector Powering India’s Space Transformation

• The opening of the space sector forprivate players in 2020, followed by the Indian Space Policy 2023, enabled greater private participation across the space value chain.
• In 2024, the Government liberalised the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy for the space sector, allowing up to 100% FDI in selected activities.
  • Up to 74% FDIis permitted under the automatic route for satellite manufacturing and operations, satellite data products, and ground/user segment services.
  • Up to 49% FDIis allowed for launch vehicles, related systems, and spaceports, while 100% FDI under the automatic route is permitted for manufacturing satellite and ground-segment components and subsystems.
• Companiessuch as Pixxel, Dhruva Space, Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, and Bellatrix Aerospace have emerged as pioneers of a new space era.

Expanding India’s Space Economy

• India leads the BIMSTEC Space Programmeas part of its “Neighbourhood First” 
  • The North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC)conducts specialised training programmes for BIMSTEC countries in space applications and satellite technologies.
  • IndThe initiativestrengthens regional cooperation through space technology, disaster management, and capacity building.
• India-Russia Partnership:Building on decades of space cooperation, ISRO and ROSCOSMOS signed an MoU in 2018 to support the Gaganyaan mission.

Challenges in India’s Space Sector

• Competition and Global Market Share: To achieve this ambitious goal of 8% of the global market share, Indian space companies must compete effectively on the international stage.
• Technology Development and Innovation:Developing cutting-edge technologies, such as reusable launch vehicles, miniaturized satellites, and advanced propulsion systems, requires substantial investment and research.
• Regulatory Framework and Licensing:Navigating licensing processes, export controls, and compliance can be complex.
• Infrastructure and Facilities: Developing and maintaining such infrastructure requires significant capital.

Conclusion

India’s space programme has evolved from a symbol of scientific achievement into a pillar of economic growth, strategic autonomy and technological leadership.

With missions like Chandrayaan-3, Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antariksh Station and private-sector reforms, India is moving towards becoming a major global space power under Space Vision 2047.

India’s expanding global partnerships are also reflected in the TRISHNA (Thermal InfraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) mission, being jointly developed by ISRO and the French space agency CNES.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2. Govt’s AI Strategy Problem: Are Sovereign AI Models the Solution?

Context

• Debate on Sovereign AI increased after reports of the US restricting access to advanced AI models for non-US nationals.
• It raised questions about whether India needs its own government-backed Large Language Model (LLM) for technological independence.

What is Sovereign AI?

• Sovereign AI means a country’s ability to develop and control its own:
  • AI infrastructure
  • AI models
  • Data resources
  • Computing capacity
  • under its own jurisdiction.

India’s Approach Towards AI

India is building AI capabilities through the IndiaAI Mission (2024).

Key Features:

1. AI Compute Infrastructure

• Provides GPUs and high-performance computing facilities for startups, researchers and academia.

2. IndiaAI Innovation Ecosystem

• Supports AI startups and development of AI solutions for governance and industries.

3. IndiaAI Datasets Platform

• Provides quality datasets for responsible AI development.

4. Skill Development

• Focuses on AI education, research and workforce training.

5. Indigenous Foundation Models

• Encourages AI models suitable for Indian languages and local needs.

Arguments Supporting Sovereign AI Model

Strategic Autonomy

• Reduces dependence on foreign AI systems and protects India from export restrictions or geopolitical pressure.

Data Sovereignty

• Keeps sensitive government and citizen data within national control.

Linguistic Diversity

• India-specific AI models can better serve Indian languages and regional contexts.

National Security

• Indigenous AI can support:
  • Defence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Intelligence systems

Innovation Ecosystem

• Public investment can build long-term technological capability similar to space and digital infrastructure.

Arguments Against Government-Funded Sovereign LLM

High Cost

• Building advanced LLMs requires huge investment in:
  • Computing power
  • Data
  • Skilled workforce
  • Continuous upgrades

Risk of Policy Failure

• Government-led technology projects may face delays, inefficiency and poor allocation of resources.

Private Innovation Advantage

• Leading AI systems like those developed by OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Anthropic emerged mainly through private innovation.

Availability of Open-Source Models

• Models like Llama and Mistral allow companies to develop AI solutions without building expensive foundation models.

Applications Matter More

• Most businesses require affordable and reliable AI applications rather than ownership of the most advanced model.

Why Sovereign LLM May Not Be Essential?

Lessons from IT Sector

• India became a global IT leader by using global technologies and building services around them.
• It did not need indigenous operating systems or processors.

Global Technology Integration

• India successfully created value using technologies developed abroad like semiconductors and computing systems.

Foundation Models Are Not Always the Bottleneck

• Many AI applications need Cost efficiency, Reliability, Domain-specific solutions rather than the largest AI models.

Trusted Partnerships

• India can build resilient AI capabilities through cooperation with: USA, Japan, European Union, South Korea, Taiwan

Way Forward

Strengthen Human Capital

• Invest in IITs, IISc, AI research centres, Universities, India’s skilled workforce is its biggest advantage.

Improve Access to Global Technologies

• Ensure easy access to: Cloud systems, AI services, Computing hardware

Promote AI Startups

• Encourage: Venture capital, Deep-tech investment, Innovation funding

Build AI Digital Public Infrastructure

• Develop AI platforms similar to: Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker

International Cooperation

• Partner with trusted countries for:
  • Semiconductor supply chains
  • AI research
  • Advanced computing technologies

Conclusion

India’s AI strategy should focus on AI capability rather than complete technological isolation. A balanced approach combining domestic innovation, skilled human resources, open-source technology and trusted global partnerships can make India a leading AI power.

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