India’s aerospace capabilities and indigenous navigation technologies are gaining global momentum, with GAGAN strengthening aviation safety, precision navigation and technological self-reliance.

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• India’s aerospace sector is expanding globally through cost-competitive manufacturing, engineering expertise and indigenous technologies supporting aviation, space and advanced manufacturing.
• Boeing and Airbus source around US$1.4–1.6 billion annually from India, while domestic companies increasingly participate in global aerospace supply chains.
• GAGAN, developed jointly by ISRO and AAI, is a Satellite-Based Augmentation System improving GPS accuracy and providing integrity information for safer aviation navigation.
• Fully operational since 2015, GAGAN places India among countries operating indigenous satellite-based augmentation systems and strengthens advanced navigation capabilities.
• In June 2026, DGCA conducted India’s first satellite-based landing approach on a commercial aircraft using GAGAN, marking an important aviation milestone.
• GAGAN uses 15 reference stations, two master control centres and three uplink stations, supported by communication networks and geostationary satellites.
• The system supports applications beyond aviation, including maritime navigation, road transport, railways, disaster management, defence, telecommunications, surveying and mapping.
• GAGAN complements NavIC by enhancing GPS signals for aviation, while NavIC provides positioning, navigation and timing services across India and surrounding regions.
• India’s navigation ecosystem is gaining international reach, with a 2025 agreement to establish a NavIC reference station in South Africa.
• The development of GAGAN reflects India’s broader transition from domestic capability building towards higher-value technologies, global supply chains and greater indigenous value addition.