Assam Enters New Space Research Era as ISRO Advanced Radar Facility Comes Up in Chandrapur

September 21, 2026

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday performed the Bhumi Pujan and laid the foundation stone for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ISTRAC Advanced Radar Research Facility (IARRF) at Chandrapur, marking a major step in strengthening the state’s scientific and technological infrastructure.

The facility is being established under ISRO’s Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) programme. It is expected to strengthen India’s capabilities to monitor and track objects in space and contribute to the protection of the country’s space assets.

This facility will make Assam an important player in the national space ecosystem and adds to a list of industries across various verticals who are setting their base in our State- Semiconductor, Food Manufacturing, Healthcare, Hospitality, Coach Overhauling, among others.

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— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 21, 2026

Advanced Radar Facility To Strengthen Space Tracking

The research centre will be equipped with advanced radar systems and optical telescopes designed to support space-object tracking and enhance India’s space situational awareness capabilities.

The Assam government has allocated nearly 200 bighas of land for the project, which is expected to increase the state’s participation in India’s growing space research ecosystem.

Sarma Says Facility Marks Assam’s Entry Into Space Research

Speaking to the media after the foundation stone-laying ceremony, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ISRO leadership for selecting Assam as the location for the advanced radar research facility.

Sarma said the centre would place Assam on India’s space research map and represent a significant advancement in the state’s scientific infrastructure.

He described the project as an important milestone in Assam’s transition towards new opportunities in science, technology and institutional development.

Reflecting on Assam’s journey, the Chief Minister said the state had moved beyond a period associated with unrest and was now witnessing the creation of new institutions and opportunities for its people.

He said the Chandrapur facility symbolised Assam’s entry into a new phase of space science and research.

Facility To Boost India’s Space Situational Awareness

The project is expected to contribute to India’s efforts to improve the tracking and monitoring of space objects while bringing Assam into a specialised area of the country’s scientific and strategic infrastructure.

The facility is also expected to strengthen the state’s role in India’s expanding space research ecosystem and create opportunities linked to advanced science and technology.