Guwahati, Sep 21 (IANS): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that he performed the Bhumi Pujan of ISTRAC’s Advanced Radar Research facility in Chandrapur. He described the project as a landmark moment for Assam’s emergence as a hub for advanced technological infrastructure.
In a post on social media platform X, Sarma said the facility would be established as part of Project NETRA, India’s initiative to strengthen space situational awareness and enhance the tracking of objects in orbit.
The Chief Minister highlighted the strategic importance of the radar research centre, saying it would bolster the country’s ability to monitor objects in space and help protect critical space assets.
Sarma said the project represented a significant development for a state previously viewed as being distant from India’s major technology and research centres.
He expressed satisfaction that Assam was now being selected to host advanced national infrastructure with strategic relevance to India’s space programme.
“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,” Sarma said in his post.
He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for selecting Assam for the strategic project, acknowledging the Centre’s role in bringing the facility to the northeastern state.
The proposed radar research centre is expected to contribute to India’s broader efforts to improve its capabilities in space monitoring and the protection of satellites and other space-based assets. Such capabilities are increasingly important as the number of objects in Earth’s orbit continues to grow and space infrastructure assumes a greater role in national security, communications and scientific research.
The announcement underlines the growing focus on developing high-end scientific and technological infrastructure beyond India’s traditional metropolitan centres. For Assam, the proposed facility represents an opportunity to strengthen its association with national research and technology initiatives.
The Chief Minister’s announcement comes amid efforts to highlight Assam’s role in India’s strategic and infrastructure development, with the state seeking greater recognition as a destination for major national projects.
