Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath emphasised the crucial role of space technology in promoting sustainability and effective governance during a recent conference at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai. He highlighted the significance of ISRO’s fleet of nearly 50 satellites in providing vital data for various applications.

Somanath stressed the need for increased deployment of earth observation, monitoring, and data support satellites to address India’s unique challenges. He encouraged NGOs, businesses, and other stakeholders to collaborate with ISRO in harnessing the potential of space-based data.

“Various problems that we face today are primarily related to agriculture, productivity, planning, land resources and utilisation, weather and climate change, and how we can support modelling and prediction. We believe that space technology can bring a synoptic view of these issues to the community, decision-makers, and scientists,” he said.

The ISRO chief showcased various applications of space-based measurements, including cyclone prediction, renewable energy generation, and sustainable agriculture practices. He also mentioned the development of mobile handheld service terminals for fishermen and solar calculators for identifying suitable locations for solar power plants.

The conference aimed to explore the role of space technology in achieving sustainable development goals.