Assam To Host ISRO Advanced Radar Research Centre Under Project NETRA

Assam is set to host an Indian Space Research Organisation advanced radar centre under Project NETRA, a move that will widen India's ability to watch objects in orbit and protect space assets. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday that the foundation stone of the Advanced Radar Research Centre will be laid at Chandrapur near Guwahati.

In a post on X, Sarma wrote, "A Landmark moment for Assam. Today, we will lay the foundation stone of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Advanced Radar Research Centre at Chandrapur, Assam. As part of Project NETRA, this facility will strengthen India's ability to track objects in space and protect our vital space assets."

Project NETRA stands for Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis. The planned centre matters because India is putting more satellites into orbit and needs stronger systems to monitor traffic in space and reduce risks to spacecraft and other national assets.

Project Netra Purpose

Project NETRA is ISRO’s programme to improve India’s Space Situational Awareness, or SSA — the ability to detect, track and understand objects moving in space.

That role is getting bigger. More satellites, spent rocket bodies and other objects are circling Earth, raising the need for constant tracking and better warning systems.

Such systems can show where satellites and other orbiting objects are and how they are moving. That helps support safer and more sustainable space operations.

Why Radar Matters

Radar works in tough conditions. The Chandrapur facility will add to India’s growing network of ground-based space surveillance infrastructure. Unlike optical systems, radar can track objects even when darkness or cloud cover limits visibility.

Sarma said the centre will strengthen India’s ability to track objects in space and help protect critical space assets. That gives the project both a technical role and a strategic one within India’s wider monitoring network.

Assam's Strategic Rise

Sarma cast the project as a technology milestone for the state.

Assam has long sat away from India’s biggest technology and space centres. The new centre, if built as planned, would bring a piece of national space infrastructure to the state.

In the same X post, Sarma wrote, "For a state once considered far from India's major centres of technology, it is deeply satisfying to see Assam today becoming home to such cutting-edge national infrastructure. My deepest gratitude to Prime Minister @narendramodi for considering Assam for this strategic project.".

India's Space Expansion

India’s space activity is expanding through ISRO and a fast-growing private sector.

As more satellites are launched, the need to monitor the space environment is rising. Tracking infrastructure is becoming more important for protecting national space systems and ensuring the safe operation of spacecraft.

The Assam radar centre fits into that broader push. It would strengthen the country’s ability to watch the space environment from the ground as orbital traffic keeps increasing.