India is stepping up its efforts to protect its valuable satellites in orbit, following an incident in mid-2024 when an Indian spacecraft and another country’s satellite came uncomfortably close. To counter such risks, the government is initiating several measures under its Space-Based Surveillance Phase-III (SBS-III) program, which includes deploying a cage of “bodyguard satellites” designed to detect, monitor, and respond to threats in space.

Additionally, projects like Project NETRA provide space situational awareness tracking debris, catalogue objects in orbit and predicting collision risks. Ground-based radars, telescopes, LiDAR satellites are being developed to strengthen detection and warning systems. India is also preparing a military space doctrine under the Defence Space Agency to formalize policies, rules of engagement, and pre-emptive safeguards.

Together, these measures aim to cover India’s growing constellation: remote sensing, communications, navigation, and intelligence satellites all face threats from space debris, near misses, or potentially hostile maneuvers. While many initiatives are still being finalized, the direction is clear: India wants not just more satellites, but safer, resilient space assets underpinned by surveillance, response, and regulation.