Assam CM Lays Foundation for Northeast's First ISRO Space Radar Hub

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday laid the foundation stone of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Advanced Radar Research Centre at Chandrapur near Guwahati, marking the establishment of the Northeast’s first major space surveillance facility.

The centre, to be built by ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), forms part of Project NETRA (Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis). It aims to strengthen India’s Space Situational Awareness (SSA) by tracking objects in space, monitoring orbital debris, and helping protect the country’s critical space assets. The Assam government has provided around 70 acres of land for the project.

While laying the foundation stone of the project Mr Sarma said, “Two years ago, ISRO informed us that it wanted to establish an ISRO centre in Assam, along with several radars. These would help scientifically study happenings in space and their influence on the state and the country. For floods, rainfall and other incidents that can affect us, we will be notified.”

Defining it a landmark moment for Assam, Mr Sarma said, “Until two decades ago, our state was known for strikes, violence and insurgency. That has changed in the last decade, and now we have IIT, IIM, AIIMS and central universities in Assam.”

He noted that a vacuum had existed in space science and that “with the Chandrapur facility, that gap has been filled.”

Pointing out that it will strengthen India’s ability to track objects in space and protect our vital space assets, the chief minister said, “For a state once considered far from India’s major centres of technology, it is deeply satisfying to see Assam today becoming home to such cutting-edge national infrastructure. My deepest gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji for considering Assam for this strategic project.”

Mr Sarma also assured full support from the state government to ISRO to help make the facility a standout one.

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said that the Chandrapur facility would be world-class. He announced that a cloud radar is ready and will be commissioned before the end of February, with two more important radars expected within another one-and-a-half years. The cloud radar will study cloud patterns, support research and development, and help in predicting rainfall patterns to aid government action, he noted, describing the occasion as momentous.

The project also underscores Assam’s growing role as a hub for advanced national technology and strategic infrastructure.