Lok Sabha Question No. 1856 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Application of Space-Based Systems for National Development Goals
Ministry: SPACE
Asked by: Shri Jashubhai Bhilubhai Rathva, Smt. D K Aruna, Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama, Shri Anurag Sharma, Shri Mukesh Rajput

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1856 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026 APPLICATION OF SPACE-BASED SYSTEMS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS

## 1856.  SHRI JASHUBHAI BHILUBHAI RATHVA:

SMT. D K ARUNA:

SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:

SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  key  applications  of  space-based  systems undertaken during 2025 for agriculture, disaster management, climate monitoring and societal welfare including crop forecasting and Earth observation initiatives;
- (b) the outcomes of India's leadership role in international disaster response mechanisms using space assets;
- the extent to which satellite data and indigenous platforms are being  integrated  with  Ministries  and  State  Governments  for
- (c) evidence-based decision-making; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  steps  being  taken  to  further  enhance outreach,  data  accessibility  and  operational  use  of  space

technologies  to  support  national  development  goals  in  line with Space Vision 2047?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

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- (a) Key  applications  of  space-based  systems  undertaken  during 2025 by ISRO/DoS are:
-  For  Agriculture:  All-India  in-season  crop  sown  and  harvest area  mapping  for  all  3  crop  seasons;  All-India  mapping  of Kharif  rice,  Wheat,  Jute  crops;  national  level  crop  yield estimation for rice and wheat crops, State level mapping of crops for Maharashtra (Soybean, Cotton, Paddy) and Madhya Pradesh (Soybean, Wheat, Gram, Mustard, Paddy); Insurance unit level estimation of crop yield in 9 States to support Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY); Development of Jute Crop Information System (JCIS).
-  For  Disaster  Management:  Regular  monitoring  of  Glacial Lakes;  Operational  Flood  Early  warning  in  parts  of  three Basins  (Brahmaputra,  Godavari,  Tapi);  Mapping  of  flood affected  area  for  the  major  flood  events  of  year  2025; Lightning Nowcasting from Light Detection Sensor Network (LDSN) and IRS Meteorological data using AI; operationalisation of Integrated Control Room for

Emergency Response (ICR-ER)-DR & integration of National Database  for  Emergency  Management  (NDEM)  services; Satellite Integrated landslide Assessment and Alert System.

-  For  Climate  Monitoring:  Satellite-based  monitoring  of  NO ₂ concentrations  over  thermal  power  plants  around  Delhi  and assessing  their  role  in  Delhi  air  pollution;  Development  of GeoAI  Framework  for  Air  Quality  Monitoring  over  Indian Region; Quantification of Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory for  Land  Use,  Land  Use  Change  over  India;  Inter-annual budgeting of tropospheric CO2 over Indian Monsoon Region based  on  model  diagnostics,  satellite  and  in-situ  datasets; Generation Geophysical products and Essential Climate Variables (ECVs).
-  For  Societal  Welfare:  Planning  and  monitoring  of  MGNREGA activities  using  Geospatial  Technology;  Monitoring  of  the Watershed Development Component - Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee  Yojana  (WDC-PMKSY)  Projects  using  geospatial technologies; Monitoring of progress of projects under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Housing For All (Urban) (PMAYHFA(U));  Mapping  the  status  of  road  network  of  the  rural parts  of  India  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojana (PMGSY);  Monitoring  the  assets  created  under  Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), etc.
- (b) India  (ISRO)  successfully  completed  its  six-month  leadership tenure  (April-September  2025)  of  the  International  Charter  'Space and Major Disasters'. Under India's leadership:
- Successfully  executed  39  activations  for  global  disaster
-  management,
-  On-boarded 4 new authorised users, extending space-based disaster management to developing nations.
-  On-boarded new satellite data and successfully coordinated
- all Charter activities.
- (c) The  satellite  data  and  indigenous  space  platforms  are  well integrated in many of the National flagship programmes carried out by  the  Ministries/  Departments  of  Government  of  India  and  State Governments. Details are as follows:
-  Satellite data is operationally used for crop mapping, yield estimation  and  damage  assessment  under  the  Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, GoI.
-  Satellite  data  is  used  for  mapping  the  status  of  road network  of  the  rural  parts  of  India  under  Pradhan  Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
-  Space  based  platforms  and  geospatial  technology  is  used for collecting information on status of projects funded under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Housing For All (Urban).
-  Yuktdhara, a Geospatial planning portal, is being used in the scientific  planning  of  the  rural  employment  (MGNREGA) works  by  the  Rural  Development  Departments  in  all  the States.
-  High  resolution  satellite  data  is  operationally  used  for monitoring interventions carried out in the projects funded under  Watershed  Development  Component-Pradhan  Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0 (WDC-PMKSY 2.0).
-  The Indian meteorological data and processing system are operationally integrated at India Meteorological Department, MoES, supporting operational weather services.
-  Data  from  Indian  meteorological  and  ocean  monitoring satellites are operationally used by Ministry of Earth Sciences for monitoring and early-warning of Tropical Cyclones around Indian region.
-  Data from Oceansat satellite and its processing system are integrated at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), enabling routine use of satellite-derived oceanographic products for fisheries advisory, ocean state forecasting, and coastal management.
-  Indian  Navy  operationally  assimilates  satellite  data  for generating  weather  &  ocean  outlook.  A  dedicated  webportal, MOSDAC-IN, is developed by ISRO/DoS to enable the access of satellite data to Indian Navy.
-  Sea  Ice  Advisory  are  utilised  by  National  Centre  for  Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR/MoES) for planning safer ship navigation  routes  during  Indian  Scientific  Expeditions  to Antarctica.
-  Satellite  based  meteorological  products  are  utilised  by MoES  for  operational  generation  of  Agro-meteorological advisories.
-  Satellite  data  and  space  platforms  are  used  for  mapping flood affected area in the country and flood forecasting in parts of Brahmaputra basin, Godavari Basin and Tapi Basin. These outcomes are operationally utilized by State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), National Disaster Management  Authority  (NDMA),  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs (MHA)
-  Satellite data is operationally used by Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) for mapping and monitoring of Glacial lakes.
-  Space platforms are used for monitoring water-spread in all the large waterbodies in the country at fortnightly interval and  estimation  of  storage  capacity  of  major  reservoirs. National inventory on Wetlands are used by Ministry of Jal Shakti for implementation of Water Bodies Census 2.0.
-  Hydro-informatic products generated under National Hydrology  Project  are  operationally  utilised  by  MoJS  for water resources monitoring, planning and management.
-  Biennial Land Cover Land Use change, derived from satellite data, is utilised by  MoEF&CC, as input for National Communications (NATCOM) under UNFCCC requirements.
-  Indian Remote Sensing satellite data is operationally used for generating India State of Forest Report (ISFR), biennially, by Forest Survey of India (FSI), MoEF&CC.
-  Satellite-derived Land Degradation and Desertification inventories are actively used by MoEF&CC in the formulation and implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) for Land Restoration, supporting long-term environmental planning and reporting commitments.
-  Geo-spatial  Energy  map  of  India  is  an  indigenous  platform utilised by NITI Aayog and other energy related Departments/Ministries for integrated planning and management  of  prudent  investment  decisions  in  India's energy sector.
- (d) To improve space-based technology's outreach, data accessibility, and operational adaptability for national growth, numerous measures are implemented. These include,
-  Providing  open  and  free  access  to  Indian  EO  data,  having coarser than 5m Ground Sample Distance (GSD), to all users under the ambit of Indian Space  Policy-2023. All the products derived from free data are also disseminated free of charges to all the users.
-  EO  data  having  GSD  finer  than  5m  are  provided  free  of charge  to  Government  Users  and  at  fair  price  to  nonGovernment users.
-  Enhancing  the  web-based  interfaces, streamlining data regulations,  and  offering  operational  users  near-real-time products. Space-based observations are distributed in real time for various applications through portals such as MOSDAC and VEDAS.
-  To  encourage  and  accelerate  the  use of  space-based observations  in  various  applications,  ISRO/DoS  organizes training  programmes  and  workshops  as  part  of  capacity building.
-  National  Meet  2025  (NM2.0)  with  theme  of  'Leveraging Space  Technology  &  Applications  for  Viksit  Bharat  2047' was  organised,  on  22 nd   August  2025  at  New  Delhi,  by ISRO/DoS. The NM2.0 focused on advancing the utilization of space technology in various Ministries and Departments. The current & future requirement of space technology and applications in the respective domains of 63 Departments/ Ministries  of  Government  of  India  and  36  States/  UTs  are compiled through more than 300 one-to-one meetings with user  Departments/Ministries/States/UTs  and  the  National Mission Plan is generated to service these requirements.

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