SAARC to get satellite from India

Addressing the inaugural session of the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Kathmandu last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country is ready to develop a satellite specifically for the region by 2016 and regional collaboration in space technology must be enhanced to achieve sustainable development in South Asia where India will host a conference for all South Asian partners to strengthen the abilities to apply space technology to economic development and governance. 

Accordingly the planned conference was successfully held with the participation of 8 SAARC countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on 22nd of June in New Delhi, India under the title of ‘Satellite for SAARC region and Space Technology Applications’. 

To-date, only two SAARC countries India and Pakistan have sent satellites to the space where several other countries are trying to follow. The proposed SAARC satellite as a gift from India to the neighboring SAARC countries is expected to bring much benefits to the SAARC countries along with its prime objective of further strengthening the relationship amongst SAARC countries and a deeper integration of the region.