ISRO in the red: Launch setbacks straining India’s strategic autonomy

NEW DELHI: The slowdown in ISRO’s launch schedule is a growing concern for India’s communications sector. Back-to-back PSLV failures and a pivot toward the high-priority Gaganyaan project are the primary drivers of this decline. This trend directly impacts the availability of transponders—integral components of the telecommunications ecosystem. A prolonged shortage risks disrupting critical initiatives like Digital India and BharatNet, as well as 5G network expansion, national security applications, and OTT services.

Currently, India operates a total of 196 transponders across the INSAT and GSAT fleets. This falls significantly short of the estimated national requirement of 500. To bridge this gap, the country is renting over a hundred high-throughput transponders from foreign satellite operators, resulting in substantial financial losses and a drain on foreign exchange.

While ISRO previously maintained a pace of 10–12 launches annually, it has conducted only a handful over the past three years. In 2025, five missions were attempted, including the joint US-India NISAR and Bluebird launches. However, one mission failed. So far in 2026, there has been only one launch, which also ended in failure.

NavIC in Crisis

NavIC (or IRNSS), India’s indigenous alternative to GPS, is facing a critical operational challenge. IRNSS-1F, launched in March 2016 with a 10-year service life, officially reached its end of life this year. Four of the 12 satellites launched for the system failed prematurely due to malfunctioning Rubidium atomic clocks. Although a timeline for replacement satellites was established, the launches have been delayed. NavIC’s primary advantage is its ability to provide localised service within India and up to 1,500 km beyond its borders. Strategically, NavIC ensures that India maintains independent positioning and navigation capabilities, even if foreign GPS services are disrupted during conflict.

ISRO Launch Timeline

• 2023: 7 launches (including Aditya-L1 and Chandrayaan-3)
• 2024: 4 launches (including Proba-3 and SPADEX)
• 2025: 5 launches (including NISAR and commercial payloads; 1 failure)
• 2026: 1 launch to date (Failed)