India, July 10 -- Space has been an active military domain since the Cold War. Today more than 70 countries operate satellites and there is increasing developing capabilities having both civil and military applications. The two nuclear armed States, India and Pakistan are part of this global expansion. Their space programmes are increasingly investing in space related capabilities moving beyond a regional competition. And due to presence of external actors like China and the US, a South Asia focused space governance would have limited impact on the region.

Operation Sindoor in May 2025 exposed important limitations in India's space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) architecture. During the operation, India was usi...