GAGAN To Strengthen India’s Satellite Navigation Ecosystem: Government

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India’s satellite-based navigation system GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) has evolved into a globally recognised augmentation platform and is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s satellite navigation ecosystem, the government said on Wednesday.

An official statement said GAGAN will support safer air navigation, improve air traffic management and expand satellite-based navigation services across India.

The system achieved a major milestone in June 2026, when the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) successfully conducted India’s first satellite-based landing system approach on a commercial jet using GAGAN.

The government said GAGAN, together with NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), will play a crucial role in advancing indigenous navigation technologies and reducing dependence on foreign systems.

Developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India, GAGAN enhances GPS accuracy and provides integrity information for safer aircraft operations.

Certified to international standards, the system supports satellite-based landing procedures and serves sectors beyond aviation.

The statement noted that aviation demands extremely precise navigation because even minor positioning errors can affect flight safety.

GAGAN addresses this challenge by monitoring GPS signals in real time, calculating corrections and broadcasting improved navigation data through a network of ground stations, communication systems and geostationary satellites.

Officials said the enhanced accuracy and reliability offered by GAGAN enable safer operations, better planning and more efficient service delivery across multiple sectors, including transportation, disaster management and surveying.

Operational since 2015, GAGAN has placed India among a select group of countries with an operational Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), alongside the United States, Europe and Japan.

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Pragati Upadhyay

I report stories and occasionally rescue facts from chaos. By profession, I’m a journalist; by conviction, a social worker who believes words should move people, not just headlines. I question power, celebrate ordinary heroes, and sometimes irritate the comfortable. If truth had a shift, I’d probably be working overtime.