Northeast India can become a strategic gateway for India’s emerging space economy: SIA-India

Guwahati: The first day of the Northeast India Space Workshop 2026 – “Leveraging Space Technology: Regional Transformation to Global Reach”, organised by the Space Industry Association of India (SIA-India) in partnership with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) explored an opportunity that extends beyond the deployment of space technologies for regional development.

The discussions examined how the Northeast can build a stronger role within India’s evolving space ecosystem by leveraging its unique geography, strategic location and institutional capabilities to advance space-enabled connectivity, disaster resilience, innovation, manufacturing and national security, while creating pathways for regional enterprises and talent to participate in emerging national and international opportunities.

“For the first time, SIA-India is taking its national space-industry dialogue beyond New Delhi and bringing it to the Northeast. This is more than a change of location, it is a change in perspective. India’s space economy is becoming more distributed, more private and more application-driven, and our conversations must travel to where new opportunities, challenges, talent and enterprises are emerging.” — Dr. Subba Rao Pavuluri, President, SIA-India


The discussions on Day One examined how the region can develop a shared Vision 2030 for its participation in India’s New Space economy, while recognising Assam’s potential to act as an important economic and institutional centre for the wider Northeast. The conversation also placed the region’s space opportunity within the larger national objective. “The question before us is not simply what the Northeast will look like in 2030, but what vision we must build today to shape its journey towards 2047” — Shri Satinder Kumar Bhalla, ITS, Secretary, North Eastern Council (NEC)

The discussions also highlighted the need to view space-enabled infrastructure as an increasingly critical component of regional development and resilience. For Assam, this means integrating satellite communications, Earth observation, geospatial intelligence and space-derived data more systematically into planning and delivery across critical sectors, while creating predictable pathways for private industry to contribute to these capabilities.

The emphasis was on moving from technology deployment to reliable, real-time services that can support citizens, institutions and critical infrastructure across the region. The focus was on improving the quality and availability of data and, crucially, converting it into information that enables timely decisions on the ground. “The vision is not about how many satellites are launched, but about how effectively space technology can translate better data and real-time information into action on the ground. The real challenge is bridging the gap between knowledge and action—ensuring that this information reaches citizens, officials and ground workers in time, so they have the knowledge and the opportunity to prepare and respond.” — Pallav Gopal Jha, Secretary, Science & Technology, Government of Assam.

Discussions examined opportunities for local industries, MSMEs and startups to build capabilities, strengthen supply-chain linkages and participate in emerging areas of space and semiconductor manufacturing, supported by appropriate infrastructure, skills, investment and policy frameworks. “The Northeast may account for only about 8% of India’s geographical area, but its strategic and natural significance is far greater. As a biodiversity hotspot and India’s gateway to Southeast Asia, the region has immense potential to contribute to the country’s space economy. We must reimagine the Northeast not merely as a user of space technology, but as a creator of space-based solutions, by building a strong ecosystem of startups, innovation and indigenous capabilities within the region.” — Dr. S. P. Agarwal, Director, North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC).

Its geographical position also opens a wider horizon for the space ecosystem emerging in the region. As India deepens its engagement with Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific, the Northeast can play an increasingly important role in connecting India’s technological and economic capabilities with neighbouring markets. The very characteristics that make the region one of India’s most challenging operating environments can also make it a natural testbed for space-enabled solutions—from connectivity across difficult terrain and disaster resilience to Earth observation, geospatial intelligence and border awareness. Solutions developed for these requirements could, over time, find relevance across other parts of India and the wider Indo-Pacific.

“The Northeast must build the scale to support innovation, startups and a strong technology ecosystem. Our focus is not only on bringing solutions into the region, but on enabling the talent and enterprises of the Northeast to create, develop and take those solutions to the rest of the world.” — Anil Prakash, Director General, SIA-India.

To help build this entrepreneurial pipeline, SIA-India is working with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and the Government of Assam to establish a Centre for Space Entrepreneurship in Assam. The proposed Centre will create a platform for startups, innovators and emerging enterprises in the region to access mentorship, industry networks, technical knowledge and market linkages, while creating direct linkages with the Centre of Excellence in Space Technology in Bengaluru. This linkage is intended to enable a free flow of ideas, knowledge, experiences and best practices between the Northeast and established space-technology ecosystems, helping regional innovators connect with the wider national space industry.