SIA-India NESAC to host Northeast India Space Workshop 2026 in Guwahati

The Space Industry Association of India (SIA-India), in partnership with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre 
(NESAC), will convene the Northeast India Space Workshop 2026 on August 26-27 at FREMAA, Assam Water Centre, Guwahati. 
More than 200 stakeholders from Government, defence, space, telecommunications, industry, startups, investment, academia and international organisations are expected to participate in the workshop.

Being held under the theme “Leveraging Space Technology: Regional Transformation to Global Reach,” the workshop will examine whether Northeast India can move beyond being a user of space technology to becoming a developer, testbed, commercial market and gateway for space-enabled solutions to Southeast Asia and the Global South.
Held in the context of National Space Day, the workshop builds on the significance of Chandrayaan-3’s historic soft landing on the Moon on August 23, 2023. The initiative seeks to connect that national milestone with the next phase of India’s space journey by expanding participation in, benefits from and contributions to the country’s growing space economy.

The workshop marks SIA-India’s first major regional initiative outside New Delhi. India’s space sector moves towards commercialisation
India’s space sector is increasingly moving towards commercial execution. Indian SpaceTech startups have raised approximately US$871 million across 241 funding rounds involving 285 companies since 2021, compared with US$43 million across 12 rounds in 2021.

In 2026 alone, startups have attracted approximately US$113 million in equity funding. IN-SPACe had issued 105 authorisations to private entities by July 2026, while India has entered a new phase of private orbital launch capability with the successful Vikram-1 mission.
SIA-India believes the Northeast can play an important role in this next phase.

The region’s eight states account for 7.97 per cent of India’s geographical area and share 5,484 km of international borders with five countries. Its strategic location, challenging terrain and high disaster exposure create demand for satellite communications, Earth observation, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), geospatial intelligence and space-enabled resilience.

These technologies have potential applications across connectivity, disaster response, agriculture, infrastructure, natural-resource management and border awareness.

Existing institutional foundation
The Northeast also has an established institutional foundation in space applications. NESAC has undertaken projects covering agriculture, disaster management, natural resources, infrastructure and communications, with Government reporting nearly 130 space-application projects across the region.
The North Eastern Spatial Data Repository (NeSDR) provides a regional geospatial foundation covering land, water, infrastructure, terrain and disaster-related information.
The next opportunity, according to SIA-India, is to connect these existing capabilities with private enterprise, investment, technology development and customers.

Subba Rao Pavuluri, President, SIA-India, said the Northeast’s strategic location, unique operating environment and proximity to Southeast Asia give it an opportunity to build capabilities with relevance beyond the region. 

“The Northeast’s strategic location, unique operating environment and proximity to Southeast Asia give it an opportunity to build capabilities with relevance far beyond the region. SIA-India’s presence here is about exploring that two-way opportunity, and, how space can transform the Northeast, and how the Northeast can expand India’s space ambitions,” he said.
SIA-India Director General Anil Prakash said the next step for the Northeast was to connect its existing scientific and institutional capabilities with the commercial space ecosystem.

“The next step for the Northeast is to connect its existing scientific and institutional capabilities with the commercial space ecosystem. The opportunity is not to create another layer of institutions, but to build stronger pathways between research, startups, Government requirements, investment, and customers,” he said.
“If we get that interface right, the Northeast can become a real-world proving ground for downstream applications-and a launchpad for taking those solutions to markets beyond India,” Prakash added.

Gateway to Southeast Asia
With its proximity to ASEAN and operating conditions shared across Southeast Asia and the Global South, the Northeast can serve as a technology bridge as India deepens its Act East engagement.
The opportunity, SIA-India said, is to move from developing space applications for the Northeast to creating space solutions from the Northeast.
Such capabilities could address difficult terrain, extreme weather and dispersed populations and subsequently be scaled across the wider region.

The Northeast India Space Workshop 2026 is expected to bring together stakeholders to explore these opportunities and strengthen the region’s role in India’s expanding space economy.