The Indian Army is set to receive its first dedicated communications satellite, GSAT-7B, with launch expected around mid-2028, according to top officials. The project is intended to give the Army its own secure space-based communication link after years of dependence on platforms assigned to other services.
What GSAT-7B Is Meant to Do
GSAT-7B is a five-tonne geostationary satellite and is described as India’s heaviest communications satellite so far. Once operational, it is expected to provide round-the-clock connectivity for the Army across remote border areas and difficult terrain. The satellite is designed to support daily military operations and battlefield command and control by enabling beyond-line-of-sight communications for deployed troops, military formations, weapon systems, airborne platforms, and other mission-critical assets.
According to the officials cited, the satellite is important because space-based communications can remain available even when terrestrial networks are disrupted or damaged during conflict. That makes such systems a key part of military resilience.
From Contract to Delay
This requirement has been on the Army’s list for some time. Unlike the Indian Air Force and the Navy, the Army does not yet have a dedicated communications satellite and currently uses the IAF’s GSAT-7A. In March 2023, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract of approximately ₹3,000 crore, reported as ₹2,963 crore, with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, for the indigenous design, development, and manufacture of GSAT-7B.
The launch was originally planned for November 2027, but officials now say it has been pushed back by six months because of technical reasons. The revised timeline places the launch around mid-2028.
Part of a Wider Military Space Build-Up
GSAT-7B is one element of India’s larger effort to expand military space capabilities. The Navy operates GSAT-7, also known as Rukmini, launched in 2013, and GSAT-7R, launched in November 2025. The IAF has GSAT-7A, launched in 2018, and last week the Ministry of Defence signed a ₹2,563-crore contract with NSIL for GSAT-7C, another dedicated communications satellite for the Air Force. The Army has previously used part of GSAT-7A’s capacity.
These developments are linked to the Joint Military Space Doctrine released in 2025 and the Cabinet Committee on Security’s approval in October 2024 of Phase III of the Space Based Surveillance programme. Under that plan, India aims to launch 52 dedicated military satellites in a ₹26,968-crore project involving ISRO and private industry.
Officials expect GSAT-7B to strengthen the Army’s network-centric warfare capability, especially in high-altitude and border regions, by providing dedicated, secure, and jam-resistant connectivity.
