DefSat 2026 opens with record participation, reinforces space as core to India’s national security strategy
New Delhi, February 25. DefSat 2026 opened with an unprecedented turnout on February 24, positioning itself as a key platform reflecting India’s ambition to consolidate its status as a serious defence-space power.
The three-day conference and exposition, being held from February 24-26 at the Manekshaw Centre, has brought together around 600 registered participants on the first day, including senior military leaders, government officials, diplomats, global industry representatives, startups, academics and strategic experts. Organised under the theme ‘Space at the Core of National Security’, the event seeks to accelerate dialogue on defence modernisation and India’s expanding space ambitions.
Speakers at the inaugural sessions underlined that nearly 70-80 percent of modern military operations now depend on space-based capabilities, highlighting the growing centrality of orbital assets in India’s national security architecture.
Subba Rao Pavuluri, President of SIA-India, stressed the importance of predictable government demand in scaling India’s space industry. He said assured, multi-year procurement in areas such as satellite communications, mobility bandwidth, disaster response and Earth observation analytics would encourage industry investment in production, automation and workforce expansion, ultimately translating mission excellence into industrial scale.
Lt Gen (Dr) PJS Pannu (Retd.), Chairman of the Defence Space Committee at SIA-India, cautioned that future conflicts would increasingly extend beyond traditional battlefields into space, cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum. He observed that as proxy wars and non-contact warfare intensify, space assets would become both vital enablers and prime targets, shaping the global balance of power.
Echoing similar concerns, Air Vice Marshal Manu Midha, Director General of the Defence Space Agency, described space as the “decisive high ground” of modern warfare. He said precision strikes, real-time intelligence, secure communications and strategic deterrence now hinge on resilient space capabilities. Without safeguarding and strengthening orbital infrastructure, he warned, nations risk strategic blindness and operational paralysis.
A senior representative from the Chief of Integrated Staff Committee emphasised that assured access to space, protection of orbital assets and rapid reconstitution capabilities must form the backbone of India’s defence preparedness, noting that the scale of engagement at DefSat reflected a shared understanding of this strategic imperative.
Highlighting the cyber dimension, Vinayak Godse, CEO of the Data Security Council of India, said orbital assurance has become integral to national security, with the economy, military readiness and digital transactions deeply dependent on space-enabled infrastructure. As digitalisation accelerates, securing the space-cyber continuum is essential to strategic stability, he added.
The DefSat Exposition 2026 will also serve as a major technology showcase, with participation from more than 30 Indian and global companies, including ICEYE, Safran, Viasat and Pixxel, among others, reflecting the breadth of capabilities across the space ecosystem.
Anil Prakash, Director General of SIA-India, said the theme of this year’s conference would provide timely direction to strengthen India’s journey towards becoming a defence space powerhouse aligned with the goals of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) and ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India). With over 90 distinguished speakers participating in 12 panel discussions, he said the event would deepen collaboration across the defence–space ecosystem.
The conference is supported by key strategic and institutional partners, including the NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and CERT-In, among others, underlining the broad-based institutional backing for India’s evolving defence-space agenda.
