Himanta Biswa Sarma meets ISRO chief, discusses Assam’s own satellite mission

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan at Assam House in New Delhi to discuss the state's groundbreaking initiative to launch its own satellite—ASSAMSAT. The proposed satellite will play a vital role in enhancing flood forecasting, strategic planning, border surveillance, and socio-economic data collection across the state.

During the meeting, Chief Minister Sarma outlined the multifaceted applications of ASSAMSAT, including its potential to provide real-time data critical for agricultural planning, disaster response, infrastructure development, and security operations. He underscored the collaborative role of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in making the project viable under the Department of Space.

ISRO Chairman Narayanan assured the Chief Minister of the space agency’s comprehensive support in the execution of the project. Acknowledging ISRO’s continued excellence in space technology, Dr. Sarma expressed admiration for the organization's contributions and praised its scientists as “a true inspiration for every Indian.”

The Chief Minister’s Office later shared an update on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, “HCM Dr. @himantabiswa had an engaging meeting with ISRO Chairman Shri V. Narayanan to discuss Assam’s vision of launching its own satellite, aimed at enhancing flood management, policy planning, and border monitoring. ISRO has assured full support in realizing this ambitious initiative.”

In a separate meeting, CM Sarma held talks with Dr. Krishan Kumar, Managing Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), to assess the progress of ongoing and proposed infrastructure projects in Assam.

Discussions included the 19.28-km-long four-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River, set to connect Dhubri in Assam with Phulbari in Meghalaya, along with other critical infrastructure such as the Rs. 25,000 crore Guwahati-Silchar Expressway, the proposed Numaligarh-Gohpur underwater tunnel, and the strategic expansion of national highways between Baihata Chariali–Tezpur and Gohpur–Kulajan.