India is moving quickly to launch 52 new defence surveillance satellites to strengthen its space-based monitoring, especially along its borders with China and Pakistan and across the Indian Ocean Region. This large-scale project, costing around ₹26,968 crore, aims to provide real-time monitoring and improve national security. It is also seen as a strategic response to China’s increasing military space activities.

Under Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) initiative, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 21 satellites, while three private companies will develop and deploy the remaining 31 satellites. The first satellite in this series is planned for launch in April 2026, and the full constellation is expected to be in place by the end of 2029.

These satellites will offer high-resolution images and faster revisit times, helping the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force track enemy movements deep inside hostile territory. The satellites will allow India to detect threats before they reach its borders by monitoring adversary staging areas, airfields, and bases.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, recently emphasized the importance of early detection, saying threats should be identified "not when they approach our borders, but when they are still in their staging areas."

A key feature of this project is the major involvement of private industry, marking a big step towards expanding India’s defence space sector. ISRO also plans to transfer Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology to private companies to enable quick launches during emergencies.

The network will include satellites in both low Earth and geostationary orbits. Apart from improving surveillance, this move acts as a deterrent against China’s growing anti-satellite capabilities, such as kinetic weapons and electronic warfare systems.

India’s recent Operation Sindoor showed the importance of using both government and commercial satellites for better tracking and defence readiness.