India was among the first few nations to realise the potential of space technology and its application for national development. In the last three decades since the space programme has been formally organised, India has made a remarkable progress in the development of space technology leading to the establishment of space systems like the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) and Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite system.

India conducted the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) as early as 1975-76, when a series of educational programmes on health, family planning, agriculture and the likes were telecast to over 2,500 Indian villages via the US satellite ATS-6. The Satellite Telecommunication Experimental Project (STEP), conducted using the Franco-German Symphonie Satellite during 1977-79, was another major demonstration of communication applications of space. The experience gained through these experiments led to the establishment of the INSAT system in 1983 and today, it is one of the world's largest domestic communication satellite systems.

The INSAT heralded a revolution in telecommunications, television broadcasting, meterology and disaster warning services in India. It links several hundred earth stations including those located in inaccessible regions and offshore islands in the country and several thousand Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs). Television in India now covers about 65 per cent of the Indian land mass and reaches about 80 per cent of its population.

Many agencies and state governments use INSAT to provide education, conduct in-situ training for industrial employees of Panchayati Raj workers. The Jhabua Developmental Communication Project, started in November 1996, has proved the efficacy of space-based system to educate the tribal people on various aspects of health, hygiene, family planning and women's rights. This project is now being expanded to cover more districts and is expected to lead to a unique space-based system that will be dedicated to the development of rural society.

New applications of INSAT connectivity are emerging. One such application is tele-medicine that makes specialised medical expertise available to people in remote areas. For example, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Tele-Medicine Project, inaugurated by the Prime Minister on July 3 this year, links the G B Pant Hospital, Port Blair with Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, Chennai.

With the growing demand for increase in the capacity of INSAT satellites, both in terms of power and the number of transponders, it has now become necessary to launch independent satellites - telecommunications, broadcast and meteorological satellites. The METSAT, launched recently is the first such exclusive meteorological satellite.

In the field of resource monitoring, starting with experimental earth observation satellites, Bhaskara-1 and Bhaskara-2 launched in 1970 and early 1980s, India has emerged in the forefront today deploying and operating the world's largest constellation of remote sensing satellites.

It is significant that India is not only self-reliant in building its satellites but also in launching them into the required orbits. Starting with a small satellite launch vehicle, SVL-3, launched in 1980, the country has successfully commissioned its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), capable of placing 1,000-1200 kg class satellite into 820 km polar sun-synchronous orbit. It had so far five consecutively successfully flights demonstrating its reliability. In its last two flights, the PSLV also carried satellites of other countries as piggybacks. The PSLV is now used for launching all Indian remote-sensing satellites. The successful test flight of Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) on April 18, last year has paved the way for launching India's communication, broadcasting and meteorological satellites into the geo-stationary orbit.

The country also has a vibrant space science programme. It has launched scientific payloads on board its satellites like SROSS and IRS to study celestial X-ray and Gamma ray sources. India has participated in major international science campaigns. Some of the ongoing scientific campaigns include the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme and Indian Ocean Experiment.

Commercial benefits have also started to accrue from the space programme. There are commercial agreements for reception and marketing of data from Indian remote sensing satellites. The INSAT satellite capacity has been leased to international customers and the PSLV, in its last two flights, has launched four small satellites of other countries on commercial terms.