A developing country faces many challenges in its progress towards improving the quality of life of its citizens. India has also gone through many hurdles in its march towards building a better nation. Application of Science and Technology played a crucial role in industrialisation, infrastructure building, agriculture, natural resource management etc. India ventured into space during the early 1960s with an intention to bring advanced technologies to various governmental and societal applications. Since inception, the primary objective of Indian Space Programme was the application of space technology to solve the problems of developing India. Indian Space programme is hailed as one of the most cost-effective programmes in the world with societal outreach. Today, India has the state-of-the-art constellation of communication satellites (INSAT/ GSAT), Navigation Satellites (IRNSS) and Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS), and the indigenous launch vehicles – Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), capable of launching these advanced satellites into orbit.
Indian Satellite Communication and Earth Observation satellites have demonstrated their capabilities to provide the services relating to health care, education, weather, land and water resources, agricultural advisories, etc., relevant at communities/village level. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the national Space Agency jointly with various stakeholders at local administrative level had setup integrated Village Resource Centres (VRCs) to empower the rural populace in their quest to improve their quality of life. Satellite based Tele-education had enabled non-formal education and facilitated interactive training and skill development processes at the village levels. Like-wise, satellite based tele-medicine facilitated the medical consultation between specialist doctors in the cities and local doctors/health workers at Rural/Primary Health Centres in the villages. India is one of the countries in the world to have operational Disaster Management Support programme. The space based imaging as well as communication capabilities are put to use to support disaster management in all its phases.
Envisioning the potentials of remote sensing data, India has conceived National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) way back in 1985. It is an institutional mechanism, wherein all stakeholders are involved to decide on the sensor requirements for future Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellite Programme, so that the data can be effectively used for applications in diversified areas ranging from agriculture, bio-resources and environment, water resources, urban planning, rural development, geosciences, meteorology and oceanography. The data from IRS satellites have made considerable impact in the areas of natural resources management, environment monitoring, disaster management and infrastructure development in the country. Data provided by Geostationary Meteorological Satellites and the advanced models have improved the monitoring of weather systems. Today, in India, space technology is being used in planning, monitoring, decision making and governance by Federal Government and State Governments.
To conclude, Indian space systems have been configured to strengthen the resolves of the country to improve the overall qualities of lives; empower the common citizen through better education, health, environment, agricultural productivity, and ultimately help to develop a resilient and more prosperous knowledge society. With the introduction of NAVIC (Navigation using Indian Constellation), India is working on synergetic applications of Communication, Navigation and Remote Sensing to further improve the citizen centric and societal services.