ISRO’s South Asia satellite is a move towards using technology for diplomacy
Idea was mooted in 2014 SAARC summit
Pakistan opted out in 2016
The satellite will carry 12 ku-band transponders allotted to the participating countries. Each country can use a dedicated transponder for its own use, which would primarily be communication and disaster management support
Proves India’s technical expertise:
Along with previous missions such as Chandrayaan and the Mars Orbiter Mission, the South Asia satellite underscores the strength of Indian indigenous technological development
Though the satellite is not very challenging technologically, a two-year turnaround for building and deploying a satellite is impressive
India has begun realizing that domestic technologies have now reached a level of maturity that allows India to confidently brandish its capabilities to other countries.
It also serves as a marketing tool for future launches at a time when ISRO is building a strong niche for itself in the international satellite launch market
By “gifting” this satellite to its neighbours, India has created an open access resource that can be leveraged by the latter to address some of their critical domestic concerns.