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This is an archive article published on October 30, 2009
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Opinion Ready for lift-off

India should catch up in providing satellites to ASEAN countries

October 30, 2009 02:19 AM IST First published on: Oct 30, 2009 at 02:19 AM IST

During the 1962 Cuban missile crisis the Kennedy government had released aerial photographs of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Analysts feel that these images shaped the course of the Cold War. Subsequently,significant investments were made by the Soviets and the Americans for aerial and space monitoring systems. This was the beginning of the usage of satellite technology for military as well as diplomatic purposes. However,in those days satellite technology was mainly used as a tool to forewarn opponents. Today satellite technology is also being used as an instrument to win friends.

In a recent initiative,India has offered to share satellite data with ASEAN countries. While addressing the seventh India-ASEAN Summit in Thailand Mr Manmohan Singh has made this offer to the 10 member association of Southeast Asian nations. He has promised that India would share satellite data — for the management of natural disasters — with these countries. It has also been proposed that India could help these states towards launching small satellites built by them. Today,with its well developed space programme India is in a position to offer help towards manufacturing and launching various payloads for experiments in remote sensing and communication for space agencies and academic institutions in these countries.

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This initiative should be considered a welcome step towards increasing India’s influence in the region. Asia is expected to lead the global space development in the 21st century. In Asia Japan,India and China are the leading space powers. Amongst these powers India’s space programme is considered as a unique programme with a strong socio-economic bias. India has invested itself successfully in various arenas of space technologies from remote sensing and education to communication and planetary missions. The commercial utility of India’s programme is well known. Today,India offers the cheapest commercial launch facilities. However,to date India has not been found proactively using its space achievements as a tool for increasing its regional influence. Is Mr Manmohan Sing’s offer to ASEAN countries a step in that direction?

India as a major rising power in Asia needs to look beyond economic and military means for expanding its influence in the region. Technology in general and space technology in particular offers India an additional tool for this purpose. Countries in ASEAN need the help of satellite technology for various purposes from communication to disaster management. States like Indonesia and Philippines are extremely prone to disasters and satellite technology has much utility for them. Countries like Malaysia have ambitious plans for possessing their own space infrastructure and have done significant investments towards this. India could play a positive role in this regard where states have both needs and ambitions.

China has already started engaging few ASEAN states in the space arena. China is generally viewed as a country with an “aggressive intent”. However,there is another side to China where it is using various methods to quietly widen its influence over the last couple of years. China is using its space proficiency to engage many nations. They are providing help to countries like Nigeria and Venezuela in order to develop their space programmes. Naturally,here one cannot overlook the “oil” factor. It is perceived that China is using “space” as a tool to secure access to key global natural resources and commodities.

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As per industry estimates,within the next two years over US$2 billion worth of new satellites may be launched over Asian region. Southeast Asia is expected to offer a major portion of this business. Today,satellite technology is being viewed more as a tool of influence in this region because many ASEAN states are not in a position to fund their space ambitions. Americans know this and they have already launched satellites for Vietnam and sealed deals with Malaysia,Thailand,Indonesia and the Philippines backed by loan guarantees. China has promised to build and launch a communications satellite for Laos. At the backdrop of this India needs to ‘carve’ a new ‘space’ for itself in this region.

Even though China is not able to establish a sizeable footprint over the ASEAN region its efforts to engage states in other parts of the world in the space loop are noteworthy. It has recently signed an agreement with Pakistan,granting a $200 million loan for satellite construction. It would also be establishing ground control segments at Lahore and Karachi. China is engaging Bolivia and would be helping it to launch its first satellite within the next three years. Its relationship with Brazil,another developing space power,is well-known. China has also managed to base the headquarters for Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation (APSCO) in Beijing. Incidentally India is not a member of this group.

India has a well established space programme and has major plans for the future. This expertise should be constructively used to engage powers within the region. The Indian space programme offers an opportunity for the Indian state to extend its soft power status. Making friends by bartering space technologies may not be the sole solution,but is definitely an important step in that direction.

The writer is a research fellow at the Indian Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

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