
Finnish satellite company ICEYE, which operates the world's largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, has formally established its Indian entity, ICEYE India, in New Delhi. The company plans to set up…
Finnish satellite company ICEYE, which operates the world's largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, has formally established its Indian entity, ICEYE India, in New Delhi. The company plans to set up satellite manufacturing capability in the country to serve defence, surveillance and environmental monitoring sectors, using local sourcing, Indian suppliers and local engineering talent.

ICEYE said the entity's immediate priority is supporting India's defence and intelligence customers with advanced intelligence capabilities to strengthen national security. The company is also exploring a model where it develops and launches micro-satellites and hands them over to Indian authorities, giving India full control and sovereignty over the satellites.
SAR satellites are a strategic game-changer for India's defence surveillance because they can see through clouds and vegetation day or night, unlike optical satellites. ICEYE's offer to hand over full satellite control to India mirrors deals it has struck with other nations, giving New Delhi sovereign intelligence capability without the decades needed to build its own SAR constellation from scratch. The immediate next step will be identifying which Indian agency takes operational control and how quickly local production can begin to reduce import dependence.
Source: theprint.in
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