'Assam’s tryst with space has just begun’: CM as ISRO radar centre comes up in Chandrapur

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, September 21, laid the foundation stone for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Advanced Radar Research Centre at Chandrapur near Guwahati, saying the facility will strengthen the state’s role in India’s space ecosystem and help track objects and debris in space.

The centre is being set up as part of Project NETRA, ISRO’s initiative to enhance India’s ability to monitor objects in space and protect critical and vital space assets. The Assam government has allotted around 6.61 acres of land for the project.

Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony, Sarma said the facility would enable ISRO to track space debris and contribute to the protection of the country’s critical space infrastructure.

“This facility will make Assam an important player in the national space ecosystem and adds to a list of industries across various verticals that are setting up their base in our state — semiconductor, food manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, coach overhauling, among others,” he said.

Sarma said the government was not only bringing industries to Assam but was also working to create an ecosystem that would give young people opportunities to participate in the state’s transformation.

He said Assam had undergone a major change over the past decade, contrasting the present situation with a period two decades ago when the state was marked by agitations, dharnas, bandhs and militant activities involving outfits such as ULFA and NDFB.

According to the chief minister, the state has since seen the establishment of several institutions of national importance, including AIIMS, IIT and IIM, besides central universities.

He said space science remained an area where Assam had not previously had a dedicated presence.

“A Small Space Centre is being developed with IIT to provide a platform to students and promote scientific temperament across colleges,” Sarma said.

He also referred to the ASSAMSAT project, saying it was progressing steadily and would help the state map weather, rainfall, forests and other factors for better resource planning.

“Assam’s tryst with space has just begun. With the ASSAMSAT project progressing steadily, we are taking a giant leap in this direction, which will help us map weather, rainfall, forests and other factors for better resource planning,” he said.

Sarma said the Chandrapur facility could become an important centre for space research and development in the coming years.

“In a few years, you will witness how the space setup in Chandrapur will get the same place as ISRO in Bengaluru due to its immense contribution towards research and development, which will go a long way in disseminating knowledge in space technology,” he said.

“We hope that Assam will soon emerge as a big name in space research,” he added.

The chief minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ISRO for choosing Assam for the Advanced Radar Research Centre, saying the project would strengthen the state’s presence in the space research domain.

Earlier in the day, Sarma described the project as a “landmark moment for Assam” in a post on X. He said it was significant that the state was becoming home to cutting-edge national infrastructure.

“As part of Project NETRA, this facility will strengthen India’s ability to track objects in space and protect the country's vital space assets,” he said.

Sarma also said that Assam, which was once considered distant from India’s major technology centres, was now becoming a destination for national-level technology infrastructure.

“My deepest gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji for considering Assam for this strategic project,” he said.