Space Seen as Fourth Dimension of Warfare

Hyderabad: Space has become the fourth dimension of warfare, former DRDO chairman Dr G. Satheesh Reddy said. “A lot of work is going on globally. Our country also would be getting prepared for it...,” he noted.

Speaking at the third edition of the symposium The Day the Sky Goes Dark: Warfare in the Age of Satellite Dependence here on Friday, Dr Reddy said India’s defence technology ecosystem is stronger than generally perceived. He emphasised that greater collaboration between government institutions and private industry would be essential to accelerate growth.

Highlighting India’s achievements such as Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, Aditya‑L1 and Mission Shakti, former ISRO chairman Dr A.S. Kiran Kumar said the country had repeatedly demonstrated technological excellence. “India has the capability. The challenge now is capacity. We need not just satellites but constellations, and not just launches but a launch pipeline,” he observed.

Former Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari underlined that information dominance had become as decisive as conventional firepower. He said a nation’s ability to restore degraded satellite capabilities rapidly may prove more important than the size of its existing fleet in future conflicts.

One of the highlights was the participation of 13‑year‑old Iniya Pragati Martian, Commercial Astronaut Candidate and India’s youngest Analog Astronaut. Her interaction with the panel and audience served as a reminder that the next generation of India’s space leadership is already taking shape.

Ananth Technologies chairman and managing director Dr Subba Rao Pavuluri, TakeMe2Space founder and CEO Ronak Kumar Samantray, and Lt Gen. P.J.S. Pannu (Retd) also spoke.