India plans to launch more than 50 new spy satellites with night-time imaging capabilities after surveillance blind spots were exposed during Operation Sindoor and the four-day conflict with Pakistan last year, according to a new report.

During the four-day standoff with Pakistan from May 7 to 10 last year, satellites were used extensively to identify and monitor targets.

India’s satellites were largely ineffective at night or in cloudy conditions, according to the Bloomberg report. Pakistan, which has far fewer satellites in space compared to India, had help from China whose satellites already have that capability.

India’s surveillance gaps over a given area can stretch into days and hence Delhi had to buy satellite imagery from US-based companies to plan strikes, according to Bloomberg.

At the heart of the satellite plan is a technological upgrade.

India intends to move from electro-optical imaging to synthetic aperture radar, which allows satellites to capture clearer images at night and through cloud cover, per Bloomberg.

Work is also underway to improve satellite-to-satellite data transfers, reducing reliance on ground stations and speeding up the flow of information during conflict situations.

The first phase involves fast-tracking the launch of more than 50 satellites under the Space-Based Surveillance-3 programme.

“We require a considerable number of satellites to safeguard our borders. The current fleet is insufficient,” Isro chairman V. Narayanan was quoted as saying last year in April.

“Our target is to add 100 to 150 satellites within the next three years. This will enable us to comprehensively monitor the entire country,” he had said.

The estimated cost of placing 150 satellites is about Rs 260 billion ($2.8 billion), the Bloomberg report said.

The Times of India had reported in June last year that the government was accelerating the project and that the first batch could be launched as early as April 2026.

The Rs 26,968-crore Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) programme, which was cleared by the prime minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security in October last year, includes the launch of more than 50 satellites — some to be built and launched by Isro and some by three private Indian companies.

Bloomberg had reported in September last year that India is also developing “bodyguard satellites” to detect and counter threats to its spacecraft in orbit.

Overseas stations for Indian satellites?

The Narendra Modi government is also exploring the creation of overseas ground stations to relay intelligence faster and with wider coverage, the Bloomberg report said quoting unnamed sources.

The proposed locations of these ground stations could be in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Scandinavia – subject to approval from host governments – according to the report.