Satellite Tech to Guide Helicopters Safely

India has achieved a historic aviation milestone: the DGCA has approved the country’s first satellite‑guided helicopter landing system — the Private Point‑in‑Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure — at Undavalli Heliport, Andhra Pradesh. This enables radar‑free, all‑weather operations, enhancing safety and accessibility for remote and challenging locations.

Satellites guide helicopter landings by providing precise 3D navigation — both horizontal and vertical — through GPS signals enhanced by Satellite‑Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS). This allows helicopters to safely approach a predefined “Point‑in‑Space” before transitioning visually to the landing site, even without radar or ground‑based aids.

Developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the PinS (Point-in-Space) procedures use advanced satellite-based navigation technology to enable helicopters to conduct safe and precise instrument approaches to heliports that do not have conventional instrument landing infrastructure. This is particularly beneficial during adverse weather conditions and in areas where ground-based navigation aids are not available.. 

What Was Approved

• System: PinS Instrument Approach
• Location: Undavalli Heliport, Andhra Pradesh
• Developed by: Airports Authority of India (AAI)
• Approved by: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
• Standards: Designed in line with DGCA regulations and ICAO requirements

Why It Matters

• Safety Boost: Enables precise instrument approaches even in poor visibility.
• Radar‑Free Operations: No need for costly ground‑based navigation aids.
• All‑Weather Accessibility: Expands helicopter services to remote, mountainous, or disaster‑prone areas.
• Operational Efficiency: Reduces delays and diversions during adverse weather.
• Applications: Emergency medical transport, disaster relief, tourism, offshore operations, corporate aviation.

Comparison: Traditional vs PinS

Traditional ILS/Radar	PinS Satellite Approach
Requires ground‑based transmitters	Satellite signals only
High installation/maintenance cost	Lower infrastructure cost
Limited to airports with ILS	Works at heliports without ILS
Precision in poor weather	Comparable precision, even in low visibility
Vulnerable if equipment fails	More resilient, radar‑free

Broader Context

• Linked Milestone: India demonstrated its first GAGAN‑based precision landing for commercial aircraft.
• Government Vision: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu hailed PinS as “the beginning of a new era in helicopter operations.”
• Future Outlook: Approval at Undavalli expected to accelerate adoption nationwide.

Implications for India

• Safer connectivity: Remote regions like Himalayan shrines and disaster zones.
• Medical evacuation: Expansion of emergency services.
• Corporate aviation: Enhanced reliability for business travel.
• Cost efficiency: Reduced reliance on expensive radar infrastructure.

This development expected to pave the way for the development of similar PinS procedures across the country, benefiting emergency medical services, disaster relief operations, tourism, offshore activities, pilgrimage services, corporate aviation, and regional connectivity. It will enable safer Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations to remote and strategically important locations, improve operational reliability, and reduce weather-related disruptions.

Speaking on the development, Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Ram Mohan Naidu said, "The introduction of India's first PinS Instrument Approach Procedure marks the beginning of a new era in helicopter operations by significantly enhancing flight safety, operational efficiency and all-weather accessibility. I sincerely appreciate the coordinated efforts of all concerned agencies including the Airports Authority of India, DGCA and the state government of Andhra Pradesh in achieving this historic milestone. Our foremost priority is the adoption of modern technologies to make helicopter operations more reliable and more accessible across the country. We also recently concluded the first phase of this year's Char Dham helicopter operations successfully without any incident supported by upgraded technological infrastructure. Our commitment is to build a technology-driven and globally benchmarked helicopter ecosystem in India."

India Lands First Jet Using Home‑Built Satellite Guidance

Representative Image 

India has achieved a historic aviation milestone: on June 27, 2026, an IndiGo Airbus A320 successfully executed the country’s first satellite-guided commercial jet landing using the indigenous GAGAN system at Udaipur Airport, supervised by the DGCA. This marks a major leap in aviation safety and accessibility, especially for airports lacking costly ground-based landing infrastructure.

Satellite‑based augmentation systems (SBAS) are designed to work together, enabling seamless navigation across continents. LPV approaches reduce diversions, cancellations, and fuel burn.

Several countries already operate or are developing satellite‑based augmentation systems (SBAS) similar to India’s GAGAN, enabling satellite‑guided precision landings. The U.S., Europe, Japan, Canada, Russia, China, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand are among the leaders.

What Happened

• Aircraft: IndiGo Airbus A320
• Date: June 27, 2026
• Location: Udaipur Airport
• System Used: GAGAN (GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation)
• Approach Type: LPV (Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance)

Why It Matters

• Safety Boost: Provides precise horizontal and vertical guidance, reducing risks of CFIT accidents.
• Accessibility: Enables precision landings at secondary airports that lack ILS infrastructure.
• Cost Efficiency: Eliminates the need for multi-million-dollar ground installations.
• Resilience: Acts as a backup when ILS is unavailable due to maintenance or diversions.
• Global Standing: Positions India among a select group of nations with its own SBAS capability.

How GAGAN Works

• Developed by: ISRO + Airports Authority of India (AAI)
• Mechanism: Enhances GPS signals by correcting errors in real time
• Infrastructure: 15 ground reference stations across India feed correction data
• Satellites: GSAT-8 and GSAT-10 broadcast corrections, ensuring uninterrupted coverage
• Function: Acts as a “proofreader” for GPS, neutralizing anomalies like equatorial ionization errors

Comparison: ILS vs GAGAN LPV

ILS	GAGAN LPV
Ground-based radio transmitters	Satellite signals + augmentation
High installation/maintenance cost	Lower infrastructure cost
Limited to airports with ILS	Works at airports without ILS
Precision in poor weather	Comparable precision, even in low visibility
Vulnerable if equipment fails	Backup option when ILS unavailable

Implications for Indian Aviation

• IndiGo Fleet: Already introduced LPV on ATR turboprops in 2022; now expanding across jets.
• Airport Network: AAI plans 40+ LPV-enabled airports by year-end.
• Future Outlook: Wider adoption expected to reduce delays, diversions, and cancellations during adverse weather.

Next Steps for India

• Broader rollout: GAGAN-enabled procedures across regional airports.
• Integration: Into more airlines’ fleets for nationwide coverage.
• Synergy: Potential with India’s NavIC for enhanced navigation independence.

In United States Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is operational since 2003. It supports LPV‑200 approaches (ILS Category I equivalent). The are over 4,000 published LPVs serving nearly 2,000 airports. China has BeiDou SBAS (formerly SNAS).

Countries like India, Russia, and China emphasize indigenous systems to reduce reliance on foreign navigation infrastructure.

All About Haryana's Space-to-Citizen Service HARSAC

HARSAC (Haryana Space Applications Centre) is Haryana’s state-level satellite and geospatial hub, established in 1986, that now powers agriculture, governance, and climate resilience by combining satellite imagery, GIS, UAV mapping, and AI analytics.

This year, it won the Geospatial Excellence Award in Amsterdam for helping over 15 lakh farmers detect crop and water stress early, saving the state nearly ₹300 crore annually.

Origins and Mandate

• Founded: 1986; operational since 1988
• Parent Department: Citizen Resources Information Department, Government of Haryana
• Mission: Embed GIS and remote sensing in all aspects of decision-making, planning, and management
• Vision: Reform governance through geo-enabled decision support systems for land acquisition, compensation, and urban services
• Affiliation: Collaborates with ISRO and national remote sensing agencies for data integration

🏆 Key Achievements

• Farmer Support: Over 15 lakh farmers across one crore fields use HARSAC’s satellite-powered system each season
• Award Recognition: Won the Geospatial Excellence Award (2026) at the Geospatial World Forum in Amsterdam. 
• Economic Impact: Saves Haryana ₹300 crore annually by preventing crop losses through early detection of water stress. 
• Operational Reach: Used daily by 4,000+ officials including patwaris, surveyors, and planners

Key Applications

Sector	Use Case	Impact
Agriculture	Crop health, yield estimation	Early stress detection for 15+ lakh farmers
Water Management	Canal mapping, irrigation planning	Efficient water use and drought resilience
Urban Planning	Land acquisition, property tax mapping	Transparent governance and compensation
Disaster Management	Flood and cyclone mapping	Rapid response and recovery
Crop Insurance	Satellite-based verification	Fair and transparent claims
Environmental Monitoring	Pollution, stubble burning, encroachments	Data-driven enforcement and sustainability

Research and Education

• Offers M.Tech in Geo-informatics with Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar (since 2009)
• Conducts training programs for students, scientists, and farmers in RS & GIS technologies
• Completed 200+ projects in mapping, monitoring, and natural resource management

Technological Backbone

• Remote Sensing (RS): Uses ISRO satellite data for land-use and crop analysis
• UAV Mapping: Drones monitor illegal constructions and encroachments
• Photogrammetry & LiDAR: Converts aerial photographs into digital maps for precision planning
• GIS Web Applications: Includes EODB Land GIS, Soil Health Maps, Property Tax Systems, and Crop Survey Layers for paddy, cotton, bajra, and sunflower

Achievements

• Recognized with the Geospatial Excellence Award (2026) for its farmer-centric satellite analytics
• Saved ₹300 crore annually by preventing crop losses through early detection of water stress
• Supports 4,000+ officials daily across departments for planning and monitoring

Challenges Ahead

• Data Integration: Continuous updates from ISRO and NRSC are vital for accuracy
• Digital Literacy: Farmers need training to fully utilize satellite insights
• Climate Variability: Demands faster satellite revisit cycles and adaptive analytics

Why It Matters

HARSAC exemplifies India’s “Space for Development” model, translating orbital data into citizen services. By merging space technology with governance, Haryana has built a resilient framework for agriculture, urban planning, and environmental protection — a blueprint for other states aiming to democratize space-based intelligence.

Satellite-based Survilience Provider PierSight Secures $6 Mn in Seed Round Led by Alpha Wave Ventures and Elevation Capital

PierSight Secures $6M in Seed Funding to Revolutionize Maritime Surveillance with Cutting-Edge Satellite Technology

The company is poised to accelerate its growth trajectory to provide persistent surveillance for the maritime industry.

PierSight, a satellite-based surveillance provider for the maritime industry, today announced the closing of a $6 million Seed funding round co-led by Alpha Wave Ventures and Elevation Capital with participation from existing investor Techstars. The funding will be used for the procurement and testing of critical hardware, the design and launch of demo and operational satellites, and to expand the company’s world-class team.

Earlier in September last year, PierSight had raised $600K in a pre-seed round led by All In Capital, along with participation from entrepreneurs, angel investors such as Andreas Klinger, Vismay Agrawal, and Nikunj Jalan, amongst others.

PierSight is creating a persistent and dynamic view of all human activity at sea through a constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) integrated satellite technology. This fresh capital underscores strong confidence in PierSight's vision to transform ocean monitoring and the maritime industry, which has historically grappled with limitations in tracking and visibility. With its SAR and AIS integration, PierSight’s technology will provide "eyes and ears" at sea, offering unparalleled 30-minute interval monitoring capabilities to shipping, insurance, defense, coastguard, oil & gas, and other organizations that rely on maritime intelligence.

Gaurav Seth and Vinit Bansal at NASA JPL 3

“Illegal fishing causes direct losses of $24 billion annually. Oil spills are difficult to monitor and combat, and are destroying delicate ecosystems. Terrorist infiltrations via sea are extremely hard to detect even for the most sophisticated of coastguards and naval forces. Persistent monitoring unlocks capabilities that weren’t previously available. Unlike traditional Earth observation solutions which are incremental, this is a step function change,” said Gaurav Seth, Cofounder & CEO and Vinit Bansal, Co-founder and CTO, PierSight. "In order to make situational awareness default, we are in advanced conversations with several government agencies, coastguards, ship liners, shipping insurance providers, and non-government environmental agencies who are aligned with our mission.”

This funding comes on the heels of a period of rapid growth for PierSight, positioning the company to further accelerate its trajectory to provide global maritime surveillance. PierSight plans to focus on the design and launch of a demo satellite on ISRO’s PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) platform, along with the deployment of its first operational satellite. The company's dynamic team is also set to expand, with plans to more than double its members in the coming year across various experience levels to fill roles in multiple functions, from electronics design, mechanical and thermal, mission design, SAR data processing, among others.

“What we liked about Piersight was the paradigm change that could be brought about to the Industry of Surveillance as we know it today. If successful, this endeavor can set a new industry standard and catalyze global efforts for sustainable marine resources usage, better oceanic logistics infra and overall align perfectly with a future where technology, sustainability and efficiencies converge for the well being of our oceans and nations. The ability to do this while also being able to form a formidable moat of being the lowest cost operator in the broader sector is what excites us. Alpha Wave has been an early backer of SpaceX and our first space investment is a testament to our belief in the ability of the high-pedigreed duo of Gaurav and Vinit as they embark on this exciting mission.” said Navroz D Udwadia, Co-founder, Alpha Wave Ventures

“India has made rapid progress in Spacetech in a short period of time and is poised to accelerate dramatically to become a true world leader in this industry. At Elevation Capital, we're thrilled to be part of this thriving momentum and are excited to partner with PierSight in developing a constellation of SAR satellites. We foresee a robust platform for persistent maritime monitoring, which will be used by multiple organizations. Our partnership with PierSight embodies our steadfast confidence in Gaurav and Vinit as industry veterans, leading a team that leverages their deep industry experience to redefine the boundaries of SpaceTech innovation,” said Mayank Khanduja, Partner, Elevation Capital.

"PierSight stood out immediately when we were evaluating companies for the Techstars Space program. Gaurav and Vinit have remarkable backgrounds in the space sector, and are extraordinary entrepreneurs,” said Matt Kozlov, Managing Director of Techstars Space Accelerator. “In the three months since we invested in PierSight, the company's pipeline of business both in the US and internationally has grown exponentially."

PierSight's journey is supported by a network of advisors including Kristi Bradford, Sherman Williams, and Andre Wilson. Further, the company’s participation in the Techstars Space Accelerator program has enabled access to the global space industry. PierSight has also secured access to IN-SPACe’s labs for satellite development under the mentorship of Rajeev Jyoti, Technical Director at IN-SPACe.

Fortune Rice Partners with Arya.ag to Elevate Crop Management Through Satellite Technology

Arya.ag and Fortune Rice join forces to enhance paddy crop monitoring through satellite technology and AI-driven insights, revolutionizing precision agriculture

Arya.ag, India’s largest & only profitable grain platform, is proud to announce a strategic collaboration with Fortune Rice Limited aimed at advancing crop monitoring capabilities for the agricultural industry. This collaboration will leverage Arya.ag's cutting-edge satellite surveillance product, combined with Fortune Rice's expertise in agriculture, to enhance the monitoring and growth of paddy crops.

As part of this collaboration, Fortune Rice Limited will provide details of 2000 acres of farmland under monitoring. Arya.ag will provide comprehensive insights into crop health and growth patterns, empowering farmers, and agribusinesses with data-driven decision-making tools.

One of the key highlights of this collaboration is the integration of Arya.ag's Artificial Intelligence and satellite surveillance solutions to enable access to rich datasets, detailed maps, and a secure application programming interface (API) designed to streamline data retrieval. This will facilitate real-time monitoring and analysis of their subscribed districts, villages and blocks, ensuring a deeper understanding of crop performance. This will enable early detection of anomalies in the monitored farmland and the required active measures in irrigation fertilisation and pest control to increase the operational efficiency and increased yield of the crop. Furthermore, this will be done through an user-friendly mobile.

"We are excited about our collaboration with Fortune Rice, which represents a significant step towards optimizing crop management," said Anand Chandra, Co-founder and Executive Director of Arya.ag. "Together, we will transform the way farmers and agribusinesses monitor and manage their crops, ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural practices."

Jai Kumar Gupta, Executive Director at Fortune Rice Limited, stated, "We are delighted about our collaboration with Arya.ag which represents a big step towards modernizing agriculture. Through this collaboration, we will be able to monitor and improve the performance of our paddy crops by utilizing cutting-edge technologies. We hope to promote sustainable agriculture, assure food security and provide farmers with useful data-driven insights.”

Fortune Rice's commitment to harnessing innovative technology aligns perfectly with Arya.ag's mission to revolutionize agriculture through data-driven solutions. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the journey toward a more sustainable and productive agricultural sector.

Arya.ag, India’s largest and fastest-growing integrated grain commerce that eliminates the trust deficit in the grain commerce value chain through its disruptive integrated PAN India platform that delivers value to all stakeholders by enabling access to high-quality produce, products, and services. Powered by an exponentially growing layer of visibility and control currently stretching across 425 districts in 21 states, 11,000 warehouses and USD 2.5 billion of grain, Arya.ag offers the assurance of quality supply to buyers and on-time fair payment for their produce and allied services to sellers. It seamlessly embeds finance to maximise value for both sellers and buyers, and the platform facilitates over USD 700 Mn of finance annually. More at www.arya.ag

Fortune Rice Limited, a company, a leading manufacturer and exporter of rice since 2005 where excellence and innovation converge seamlessly. Company expertise lies in supplying both basmati and non-basmati rice, with a specialization in the production of high-quality rice varieties. Over the years, Fortune Rice has earned a stellar reputation across the country, establishing itself as a trusted name in the industry.

In recent times, company have dedicated to producing paddy in deep association with farmers at ground level that complies with the stringent international food safety standards of the European Union (EU) & U.S. countries etc. This exclusive focus has allowed us to ensure that company products meet the highest levels of quality and safety for discerning customers.