Current Affairs · · GS3 · Science & Technology

Navigation gaps and imported chips show India's exposure to foreign tech

A Hindu explainer argues that India depends on foreign-controlled technology in satellites, cloud computing, chips and defence. NavIC, India's own navigation system, cannot currently give standalone positioning because only three satellites work. Dependence can become leverage in a crisis, so self-reliance in critical systems matters.

Event date:

REq1
  1. Note1 / 6

    WHY IN NEWS?

    • A Hindu explainer examines India's exposure to foreign-controlled technology.
    • It cites reported restrictions on a US company's satellite services to Ukraine as a warning of how access can be cut off.
    • It identifies risks in satellite navigation, cloud services, semiconductors, payments and defence.
    • The common thread: whoever controls a system can switch it off, slow it or attach conditions.
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    WHERE INDIA IS EXPOSED

    The table summarises the main areas.

    AreaDependenceIndian response
    NavigationNavIC cannot give standalone positioning; users rely on foreign systems such as GPSNew NVS satellites with Indian atomic clocks
    SemiconductorsStrong in assembly, weak in chip and component makingIndia Semiconductor Mission
    Cloud and softwareForeign providers dominate; updates and management sit abroadGovernment cloud and data-localisation rules
    PaymentsForeign apps run on top of domestic railsUPI, owned and run by NPCI
    DefenceSecond-largest arms importer in 2021–25Indigenisation lists and domestic production

    UPI shows what domestic ownership of core infrastructure can achieve.

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    KEY CONCEPTS

    1. Why can't NavIC work on three satellites?

    A receiver needs four satellites to fix its position. Three give a rough location, and the fourth corrects the receiver's clock error. NavIC's timing service still works.

    1. Why did NavIC's satellites fail?

    Many first-generation satellites lost their imported atomic clocks. The last clock on IRNSS-1F stopped in March 2026, leaving three working satellites.

    1. What does SIPRI say about India's arms imports?

    India was the world's second-largest importer of major arms in 2021–25, with 8.2% of the global share. Russia's share of India's imports fell to 40%, with France second at 29%.

    1. What is strategic autonomy?

    It is a country's ability to make its own choices without being coerced by others. Control over critical technology is a large part of it.

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    LESSONS FROM PAST EPISODES

    • Sanctions after 1998: US restrictions after India's nuclear tests disrupted some defence procurement.
    • Engine delays: Late deliveries of imported engines have slowed India's Tejas fighter programme.
    • Rare earths: Chinese export curbs in 2025 exposed supply risks for electronics and defence.
    • Global outages: A 2024 software failure abroad disrupted Indian airlines and banks, showing how linked digital systems are.
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    WAY FORWARD

    These are suggested measures, not approved policy.

    • Restore NavIC quickly by launching NVS-03 and later satellites.
    • Build critical components: chips, aero-engines, sensors and mineral processing.
    • Keep control of keys: Require domestic control of encryption keys and emergency recovery for critical systems.
    • Diversify suppliers so no single country can block supply.
    • Audit dependencies across defence, banking, energy and telecom.
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Sources

Syllabus

PaperSubjectSub-topic
GS3Science & TechnologyScience and Technology, indigenisation of technology, space, cybersecurity
GS3Internal SecurityInternal security and dependence on critical foreign-controlled technologies
GS2International RelationsStrategic autonomy
PrelimsScience & TechnologyNavIC, India Semiconductor Mission, IndiaAI Mission, SIPRI

Topics

International Relations and Current AffairsDefence TechnologyInformation and Communication TechnologySpace Technology

Related previous-year questions

Asked in earlier UPSC Prelims papers on this topic. Answer, then check.

  1. UPSC Prelims 2018 · Science and Technology · Space Technology

    With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements: 1. IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits. 2. IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders. 3. India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 1 and 2 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. None
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Only statement 1 is correct, so the answer is (a) 1 only. Statement 1 is CORRECT. The IRNSS space segment is a constellation of seven satellites, called NavIC. Three sit in geostationary orbital slots and the remaining four in geosynchronous orbits with the required inclination and equatorial crossings in two different planes. Statement 2 is INCORRECT. IRNSS is designed to serve users in India and the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area, with an extended service area beyond that. The figure of 5500 square kilometres both misstates the distance and uses the wrong unit for it. Statement 3 is INCORRECT. IRNSS is a regional system, and India will not have a satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019. SOURCE: ISRO IRNSS programme page, and The Hindu report on IRNSS-1I completing the navigation fleet. HOW TO CRACK IT: Read the unit, not just the number. Statement 2 offers an area in square kilometres where coverage beyond a border must be a distance, and 5500 square kilometres would be a trivially small patch. Unit mismatch is a quiet but reliable tell. The name itself, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, disposes of statement 3.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

    Open this question on its own page, with the full explanation →

Practice questions

  1. Why does a satellite navigation receiver need signals from at least four satellites?

    1. To cover all time zones
    2. Three fix position, and a fourth corrects the receiver's clock error
    3. Each satellite covers one quadrant of Earth
    4. To meet international regulations
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Ordinary receivers lack atomic clocks, so a fourth signal solves for time.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  2. According to SIPRI, which country was the largest supplier of arms to India in 2021–25?

    1. USA
    2. France
    3. Russia
    4. Israel
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Russia supplied 40%, followed by France at 29% and Israel at 15%.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  3. NavIC is:

    1. A global navigation system with 24 satellites
    2. India's regional satellite navigation system
    3. A European system used by India
    4. A ground-based radio navigation network
    Show answer

    Answer: B. It covers India and about 1,500 km around it.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

Mains practice

Answer-writing practice on this article. Attempt it first, then open the hints.

  1. GS3 · 250 words

    "Technological dependence can become strategic vulnerability." Examine with reference to satellite navigation, semiconductors and defence in India.

    Show hints
    1. NavIC clock failures, chip supply
    2. arms imports, UPI as a model
    3. sanctions history, encryption control
    4. diversification.